Chronic exposure to hypercortisolism has significant impact on patient's health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), as demonstrated with generic questionnaires. We have developed a disease-generated questionnaire to evaluate HRQoL in patients with Cushing's syndrome (CS; CushingQoL).Objective: Validate the CushingQoL questionnaire in patients with CS in clinical practice conditions.Design: Observational, international, cross-sectional study.Methods: A total of 125 patients were recruited by 14 investigators from Spain, France, Germany, The Netherlands, and Italy over a 2-month period. Clinical and hormonal data were collected and correlated with results of the generic short form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire, a question on self-perceived general health status and the CushingQoL score.Results: A total of 107 patients were pituitary-dependent and 18 adrenal-dependent CS; 104 (83%) were females, mean age 45 years (range 20–73 years); 39 (31%) were currently hypercortisolemic; and 47 (38%) adrenal insufficient. In clinical practice, CushingQoL was feasible (117; 94% of patients fully responded to the questionnaire in a mean time of 4 min), reliable (Crohnbach's α=0.87), and valid (factorial analysis demonstrated unidimensionality and Rasch analysis lead to a final version with 12 items). A significant (P<0.001) correlation was observed between CushingQoL score and patients self-perceived general health status and dimensions of SF-36 (Pearson's correlation coefficient ≥0.597). Patients with current hypercortisolism scored worse (lower) than those without (44±22 vs 56±21, P=0.004). Linear regression analysis identified female gender and hypercortisolism as significant predictors for worse QoL.Conclusion: CushingQoL is useful to evaluate HRQoL in patients with CS and correlates with clinical parameters.

Context: Signs and symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome (CS) overlap with common diseases, such as the metabolic syndrome, obesity, osteoporosis, and depression. Therefore, it can take years to finally diagnose CS, although early diagnosis is important for prevention of complications. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the time span between first symptoms and diagnosis of CS in different populations to identify factors associated with an early diagnosis. Data Sources: A systematic literature search via PubMed was performed to identify studies reporting on time to diagnosis in CS. In addition, unpublished data from patients of our tertiary care center and 4 other centers were included. Study Selection: Clinical studies reporting on the time to diagnosis of CS were eligible. Corresponding authors were contacted to obtain additional information relevant to the research question. Data Extraction: Data were extracted from the text of the retrieved articles and from additional information provided by authors contacted successfully. From initially 3326 screened studies 44 were included. Data Synthesis: Mean time to diagnosis for patients with CS was 34 months (ectopic CS: 14 months; adrenal CS: 30 months; and pituitary CS: 38 months; P < .001). No difference was found for gender, age (<18 and ≥18 years), and year of diagnosis (before and after 2000). Patients with pituitary CS had a longer time to diagnosis in Germany than elsewhere. Conclusions: Time to diagnosis differs for subtypes of CS but not for gender and age. Time to diagnosis remains to be long and requires to be improved.

Objective: Although increased central fat mass is characteristic of active Cushing’s syndrome (CS), little is known about body composition and secretion of adipokines after long-term recovery of CS. The aim of this study was to evaluate central fat mass and its correlation with adipokines and cardiovascular risk factors in patients after long-term remission of CS. Methods: Thirty-seven women with CS in remission (27 of pituitary and 10 of adrenal origin; mean age, 50 ± 14 yr; mean time of hormonal cure, 11 ± 6 yr) were enrolled and compared to 14 women with active CS and 85 gender-, age-, and body mass index-matched healthy controls. Total and trunk fat mass were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanning. Laboratory parameters and adipokine levels [including adiponectin, visfatin, soluble TNFα-receptor 1 (sTNF-R1), sTNF-R2, and IL-6] were measured. Results: Cured CS patients had more total and trunk fat mass than controls. Cured and active CS had higher levels of sTNF-R1 and IL-6 and lower adiponectin levels than controls. Higher insulin levels and blood pressure in both groups of CS patients and higher apolipoprotein B in cured CS were observed compared to controls. sTNF-R1 correlated positively with percentage of trunk fat mass and remained significant after adjusting for anthropometric parameters. Conclusion: Despite long-term cure, patients who have suffered CS exhibit persistent accumulation of central fat, as in active hypercortisolemia, with the consequent unfavorable adipokine profile, leading to a state of low-grade inflammation. This situation determines a persistent and increased cardiovascular risk in these patients. Despite long-term cure, Cushing′s syndrome determines persistent accumulation of central fat, an unfavorable adipokine profile, low-grade inflammation, and increased cardiovascular risk, as in active hypercortisolemia.

Cushing's syndrome (CS) affects cognition and memory. Our objective was to evaluate memory and hippocampal volumes (HV) on 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3T MRI) in CS patients and controls. Thirty-three CS patients (11 active, 22 cured) and 34 controls matched for age, sex, and education underwent Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure memory tests. Gray matter and HV were calculated on 3T MRI, using FreeSurfer image analyses software. No differences in HV were observed between active and cured CS or controls. Memory performance was worse in CS patients than controls (P < 0.04 in active; P < 0.03 in cured CS) but did not differ among CS groups, which were therefore analyzed together; they performed worse for verbal (P = 0.02) and visual memory (P = 0.04) than controls. In 12 CS patients, memory was below normative cutoff values for verbal (n = 6, cured), visual memory (n = 10, six cured) or both (n = 4); these patients with severe memory impairments showed smaller HV compared with their matched controls (P = 0.02 with verbal impairment; P = 0.03 with visual impairment). They were older (P = 0.04), had shorter education (P = 0.02), and showed a trend toward longer duration of hypercortisolism (P = 0.07) than the remaining CS patients. Total (P = 0.004) and cortical (P = 0.03) brain gray matter volumes were decreased in CS compared with controls, indicating brain atrophy, whereas subcortical gray matter (which includes HV) was reduced only in the 12 patients with severe memory impairment. Verbal and visual memory is worse in CS patients than controls, even after biochemical cure. HV was decreased only in those whose memory scores were below normative cutoff values.

Endogenous hypercortisolism and high-dose and long-term glucocorticoid (GC) therapy reduce bone mass. Patients in remission after successful treatment of Cushing's syndrome (CS) often present hypoadrenalism and require long-term GC replacement. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether this GC “replacement” had any further effect on bone in women after long-term remission of CS. Thirty-seven women (mean age: 50 ± 14 yr; 27 of pituitary and 10 of adrenal origin) with cured CS (mean time of cure: 11 ± 6 yr), 14 with active CS, and 85 sex-, body mass index (BMI)-, and age-matched controls were enrolled. BMD and BMC were measured by DXA scanning. Bone biochemical markers were also measured. Duration and dose of GC replacement and duration of endogenous hypercortisolism were calculated. Cured and active CS patients had less BMC, BMD, and osteocalcin than controls (p < 0.01). These differences were observed in estrogen-sufficient women but not in those with estrogen deficiency. Duration of GC treatment (mean: 42 mo; range, 2–420 mo) and endogenous hypercortisolism (mean: 70 mo; range, 13–241 mo) negatively correlated with BMC and lumbar spine BMD. After regression analysis, the main predictor of abnormal BMC and BMD was the duration of GC replacement (p < 0.01). Patients treated for CS persistently have less bone mass despite long-term cure. Both duration of endogenous hypercortisolism and mainly exogenous “replacement” therapy with GC negatively affect bone mass. Thus, the additional deleterious effect of GC for the treatment of adrenal axis suppression should be considered.

We describe a patient presenting with muscular symptoms and rhabdomyolysis without any other precipitating factor, except primary hypothyroidism. After thyroxine replacement, musculoskeletal symptoms disappeared and creatine kinase concentrations decreased. Hypothyroidism is a rare cause of rhabdomyolysis, but should always be considered in a patient with an unexplained increase in creatine kinase concentrations.