Pregnancy During the Course of Cushing’s Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review
April 2020
in “
Endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism case reports
”
Cushing's syndrome hirsutism hair loss hypokalemia cortisolemia adrenal mass adrenal adenoma laparoscopic adrenalectomy prednisone hypercortisolism anovulatory infertility Cushing's disease hair thinning low potassium cortisol levels adrenal tumor adrenal gland surgery steroid treatment high cortisol infertility
TLDR Pregnancy with Cushing's syndrome is rare and risky for both mother and baby, needing early diagnosis and treatment.
In a case report from 2020, a 24-year-old pregnant woman with Cushing's syndrome was presented. She had symptoms including weight gain, hirsutism, and hair loss, and was found to have hypokalemia, high nocturnal cortisolemia, and a right adrenal mass. An MRI confirmed an adrenal adenoma, leading to a successful right laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Post-surgery, her blood pressure and blood sugar levels were managed, and she was put on low-dose prednisone. Despite improvements in her Cushing's syndrome, the pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth at 28 weeks. The case highlighted the rarity of pregnancy during Cushing's syndrome due to anovulatory infertility caused by hypercortisolism, the difficulty in diagnosing the syndrome during pregnancy, and the severe risks it poses to both mother and fetus, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and treatment.
