TUMORSYNTROPIEN DES CUSHING-SYNDROMS

Abstract

The tumour syntropies of Cushing's syndrome are discussed on the basis of a case of metastatic mediastinal tumour – a small round cell undifferentiated carcinoma – followed by a Cushing syndrome. These tumoral syntropies are generally limited to the thymus, the bronchial tree and the pancreas, but may also occasionally appear elsewhere. The accompanying hyperfunction of the adrenal cortex may appear in various grades of intensity, i. e. 1) As a simple increase in the output of adrenal steroids without clinical symptoms of hyperadrenocorticism. 2) As an increase of adrenal cortex output accompanied by a hypochloraemic and hypopotassaemic alkalosis, however with no manifestation of Cushing syndrome. 3) A full blown Cushing syndrome. Either the tumour or the hyperadrenocorticism may be the primary disease. The underlying pathogenetic factor which causes the correlation between the two diseases has not yet been ascertained.