Abstract:
Background The common causes of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) dependent Cushing syndrome include Cushing’s disease (CD) and ectopic ACTH syndrome (EAS). The gold standard for distinguishing these two diseases is the bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS), however, it can not be widely carried out due to its invasiveness and technical demand. The high-dose dexamethasone suppression test (HDDST) and peripheral blood 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) stimulation test are relatively simple and can be safely performed.
Objective To investigate the clinical value of peripheral DDAVP stimulation test combined with high-dose dexamethasone suppression test in differential diagnosis of EAS and CD.
Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted for the clinical data about patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome diagnosed based on pathology, clinical indicators, and BIPSS in the department of endocrinology, the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2016 to December 2019. The ACTH-cortisol level, 24 h urinary free cortisol (24 h UFC), changes in blood ACTH and blood cortisol after peripheral DDAVP stimulation test and HDDST were analyzed. The sensitivity and specificity of the peripheral DDAVP stimulation test and/or classic HDDST in the differential diagnosis between CD and EAS were explored.
Results Among the 119 patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome, 105 cases had Cushing’s disease (10 male , 95 female, with an average age of 38.20±12.52 years); 14 cases had ectopic ACTH syndrome (8 male, 6 female, with an average age of 44.86±17.17 years). When the blood ACTH increase ≥35% in the peripheral DDAVP stimulation test was used as the cut-off point, the sensitivity and specificity of the differential diagnosis of CD and EAS was 97.9% and 55.6%, respectively; if the blood and urine cortisol inhibition rate of ≥ 50% in classic HDDST was used as the cut point, the sensitivity and specificity was 62.0% and 90.0%, respectively; if combined ACTH increase ≥ 35% in peripheral DDAVP stimulation test with blood cortisol inhibition rate (or urine Free cortisol inhibition rate) ≥50% in HDDST, the sensitivity and specificity was 73.3% and 87.5%, respectively.
Conclusion Peripheral DDAVP stimulation test shows high sensitivity but low specificity for distinguishing EAS and CD; wheares HDDST shows low sensitivity, and high specificity; if the two tests are combined, the diagnostic performance improved.