Endocrine Abstracts

Transphenoidal hypophysectomy is often carried out to remove ACTH-secreting tumours of the pituitary. A postoperative serum cortisol of <50nmol/l usually indicates cure of the disease but after other audits found persistent cases, 'remission' is thought to be a more appropriate term.Charing Cross Hospital is the tertiary neurosurgical centre for West London where a single, dedicated pituitary surgeon was appointed in 1995. We analysed the success of e...

Eliciting an accurate diagnosis of Cushing's disease before transphenoidal hypophysectomy is essential to avoid unnecessary surgery. Localisation of the tumour increases the chance of operative success.In the right hands, Inferior Petrosal Sinus Sampling (IPSS) can provide invaluable information in distinguishing ectopic ACTH from pituitary Cushing's and localising the tumour in patients who are known to have Cushing's syndrome. Due to the invasive natur...