Cyclical Cushing's disease and its successful control under sodium valproate

Abstract

Several subgroups of Cushing's disease were recently described (anterior or intermediate lobe origin, hyper-or hypo-pulsatility of cortisol, presence or absence of response after GRH or TRH, cyclical Cushing's disease). We present here a detailed case report on a patient suffering from Cushing's disease whose endocrine functions were extensively investigated. Treatment with bromocriptine, as well as subsequent transsphenoidal surgery, were followed by rapid but transient reversal of symptoms. When clinical manifestations reoccurred, daily measurements of free urinary cortisol revealed a cyclic pattern of cortisol hyperexcretion. A study of ultradian rhythm revealed hyperpulsatility of cortisol secretion. More interestingly, a treatment with sodium valproate, a drug known to inhibit CRH production, was followed by a rapid and longstanding normalization of clinical and biological data for 2 years. Based on these data, and on information from the literature, the present case of Cushing's disease exhibits characteristics suggesting a possible hypothalamic origin.