Thallium-20 scintigraphy was useful in diagnosing ectopic ACTH syndrome due to bronchial carcinoid

摘要

Initial investigations of a 70-year-old woman with clinical Cushing's syndrome, including overnight dexamethasone suppression test, CRH test, and pituitary MRI, suggested the presence of ectopic ACTH production. Thoracic computed tomography(CT)scan revealed a mass measuring 7 mm in the right lung, but it was thought to Be an incidental opacity, leaving the source of ectopic ACTH undetermined for several years. During this period, Although the size of the lung opacity did not change remarkably, serum cortisol levels became elevated to 43μg/dl, And the patient's symptoms worsened.