Intravenous dexamethasone and subsequent ACTH test in comparison with dexamethasone oral test in the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome: a report of 20 cases

Abstract

Dexamethasone inhibits ACTH secretion in the pituitary corticotropic cells of normal subjects; this ability is variously affected in Cushing's syndrome. The iv infusion of dexamethasone is not time consuming, nor it is influenced by the variability of intestinal absorption or hepatic metabolism, as occurs with oral administration. Iv dexamethasone (1.5 mg/h) over 7 h and an ACTH bolus at the 6th h were administered to 17 patients with Cushing's disease, 3 patients with Cushing's syndrome (2 with adrenal adenoma, 1 with ectopic ACTH secretion) and 13 normal subjects. After 4 days the 20 patients were also given the standard oral low-dose and high-dose dexamethasone test. Two h after starting the drug infusion, cortisol concentrations were inhibited by more than 50% in each control subject. In contrast, in all but one patient they remained higher than 50% over the baseline. At the 6th heach control subject and 15 of the 17 patients with Cushing's disease showed an inhibition of plasma cortisol concentration which was greater than 50%. Inhibition was less than 50% in 2 patients with Cushing's disease and in the 3 patients with non-pituitary dependent Cushing's syndrome. The sensitivity and specificity of this test are comparable with those of the dexamethasone oral test. Although statistically significant, results obtained from ACTH bolus were not sufficiently discriminating. If studies conducted on a larger population confirm these preliminary data, the rapidity and reliability of the dexamethasone infusion test could make it an important new tool in diagnosing Cushing's syndrome.