Cushing’s Disease Presenting with Psychosis

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1. Ahmed Saeed Mubarak Mohamed1, 
2. Ahmed Iqbal2, 
3. Suveera Prasad3, 
4. Nigel Hoggard4, 
5. Daniel Blackburn1

1. Correspondence to Dr Daniel Blackburn, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Department of Clinical Neurology, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK; d.blackburn@sheffield.ac.uk

 

Abstract

Cushing’s disease is a rare endocrine condition in which a pituitary corticotroph adenoma drives excess adrenal cortisol production, and is one cause of endogenous Cushing’s syndrome. We present a young woman with 3 weeks of headaches and cognitive disturbance who subsequently developed florid psychosis requiring multiple admissions under neurology and psychiatry. Her clinical stigmata of hypercortisolism and biochemical abnormalities prompted an MR scan of the pituitary, which confirmed a pituitary microadenoma. Treatment with metyrapone and subsequent surgery led to complete recovery within 2 months. Cushing’s disease commonly causes neuropsychiatric symptoms and can present with psychosis. Diagnosing Cushing’s disease can be challenging, but with early diagnosis and treatment it has an excellent prognosis.

 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/practneurol-2021-002974

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