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Cushing’s Disease: Medical Management

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Diagnosis and Management of Pituitary Disorders

Part of the book series: Contemporary Endocrinology ((COE))

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Summary

Transsphenoidal surgery, the optimal treatment for Cushing’s disease, achieves remission in 70–90% of patients. Subsequent treatment of patients who remain hypercortisolemic includes radiation therapy or adrenalectomy. However, there is a role for shortterm primary medical therapy and for adjunctive treatment while awaiting the effects of radiotherapy. The well-studied available agents inhibit cortisol production by the adrenal gland. It would be ideal to inhibit ACTH production or secretion from the tumor; however, such neuromodulatory agents are either ineffective or have not been studied extensively. This chapter will review existing agents, their mechanism of action, efficacy, and clinical application.

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Authors
  1. John R. Lindsay
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  2. Lynnette K. Nieman
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery Massachusetts, General Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Brooke Swearingen MD

  2. Neuroendocrine Unit Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Beverly M. K. Biller MD

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© 2008 Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

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Lindsay, J.R., Nieman, L.K. (2008). Cushing’s Disease: Medical Management . In: Swearingen, B., Biller, B.M. (eds) Diagnosis and Management of Pituitary Disorders. Contemporary Endocrinology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-264-9_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-264-9_12

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-922-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-264-9

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