a 35-year-old man has blood work done to assess his hypertension and weight gain. he has also felt fatigued and moody with some respiratory difficulties. his physical appearance indicates possible cushing's syndrome and lab tests are ordered. the man's adrenocorticotropic hormone (acth) level is extremely elevated (>300 g/l), but the pituitary gland appears normal. what is the most probable cause of the elevated acth?

Respuesta :

A man suffering from extremely high ACTH level but normal pituitary gland functioning is actually suffering from Ectopic synthesis of ACTH by small cell lung carcinoma.

ACTH hormone is used to stimulate the adrenal glands to release cortisol, which is vital for functioning of major body tissues and organs. Small cell lung cancer occurs mainly due to inappropriate secretion of ACTH hormone, which causes formation of neuroendocrine tumor. These can be detected only by MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) OR CT (Computed tomography) scan. This condition can be treated only by consumption of cortisol lowering drugs. The majority of pituitary gland metastasis cases with secondary adrenal insufficiency have lung cancer as their primary tumor, which are misdiagnosed as pituitary adenomas.

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