Project description:
Cyclic Cushing’s syndrome is a subtype of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome characterised by recurrent phases of cortisol excess alternating with periods of physiological or even reduced cortisol secretion. In this international retrospective cohort study, 110 patients from 21 countries were analysed. Patients with ectopic cyclic Cushing’s syndrome showed the most pronounced cortisol fluctuations. Overall, 28% developed potentially life-threatening episodes of spontaneous adrenal insufficiency. Diagnostic investigations performed during inactive secretion phases led to misclassification of tumour origin and resulted in unnecessary surgical procedures in 8% of cases. This study emphasises the importance of repeated hormone measurements to avoid misdiagnosis and highlights the considerable value of international networks in rare diseases. Moreover, this comprehensively characterised cohort provides an important foundation for future mechanistic studies.
Publication:
Nowak E, Zhang Q, Zhang S, Zhao Y, Ye H, Machado MC, Moises CCS, Tóth M, Stark J, Yuen KCJ, Gurnell M, MacFarlane J, McCormack A, Govinna M, Gilis-Januszewska A, Minasyan M, Bonaventura I, Czepielewski MA, Ferriere A, Gadelha M, Isidori AM, Kastelan D, Maiter D, Tabarin A, Alexandraki KI, Chang J, Frontera ED, Hanzu FA, Matikainen N, Miljic D, Pichler R, Popovic V, Spencer-Segal JL, Tordjman K, Akirov A, Araujo-Castro M, Arvat E, Bancos I, Bioletto F, Burman P, Castinetti F, Detomas M, Fassnacht M, Feelders RA, Fountas A, Igaz P, Ilic S, Isand K, Kaltsas G, Meyer G, Parasiliti-Caprino M, Newell-Price J, Ragnarsson O, Valassi E, Vila G, Wass J, Yoel U, Fleseriu M, Reincke M. Cycle characterisation and clinical complications in patients with cyclic Cushing's syndrome: insights from an international retrospective cohort study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2025.
Paper: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(25)00249-9/abstract
Submitting the Paper of the Month:
Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung is using the series “Paper of the Month” to report in an exemplary and hot-off-the-press style on the outstanding work being done by the scientists it supports. We regularly present publications which have recently appeared in especially renowned journals, have emerged from foundation funding and been given appropriate acknowledgment. This is done in the respective categories “Original Paper” and “Review”. In the case of each of these publications, the first author and/or senior author are being funded by the foundation.
We invite all project managers, fellowship recipients and members of graduate study programs to send their work in accordance with the stated criteria as proposal for Paper of the Month to Ms. Anne Asschenfeldt (a.asschenfeldt@ekfs.de).
More Paper of the Month can be found here.
