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Biomedical subjects

R M Jordan

Publications and source records attributed to R M Jordan.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Dynamics of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secretion in cyclic Cushing's syndrome: evidence for more than one abnormal ACTH biorhythm.

We have studied a 57-yr-old woman with cyclic Cushing's syndrome of apparent pituitary origin who had a predominant cycle of 2-6 days. The patient also demonstrated an abnormal circadian rhythm, with afternoon peaks of plasma ACTH and plasma cortisol. In addition to these abnormal biorhythms, Fourier analysis showed what appeared to be a separate 35-day cycle. After 35 days of consecutive urinary free cortisol measurement, the patient was given cyproheptadine. During therapy with this agent, the urinary free cortisol levels fell dramatically, but cyclic secretion continued, albeit with a diminished amplitude. During general anesthesia for a bilateral adrenalectomy, there was a striking increase in the plasma ACTH level, and the ACTH concentration remained high in both the immediate and late postoperative periods. These observations indicated that stress could overcome cyclic ACTH secretion and that cortisol exerted feedback suppression on ACTH secretion. Although this is the predictable response for classic pituitary-dependent Cushing's syndrome, it is of interest in cyclic Cushing's syndrome, since previous studies of this entity have implied that cortisol secretion is independent of stimulation or feedback.

Adrenalectomy↗
PubMed1981

Somatomedin C in treated acromegaly: poor correlation with growth hormone and clinical response.

To determine the usefulness of commercially available somatomedin C levels in the evaluation of the treatment of acromegaly, 15 patients were tested at 0.25-15.4 yr after onset of therapy. Clinical response, as determined by a numerical scoring system, was compared with RIA of GH and somatomedin C. Symptomatic response was poorly correlated with somatomedin C (r = 0.033) as well as with GH (r = 0.24). The correlation of GH and somatomedin C was also poor (r = 0.46, P greater than 0.05). Eighty-three percent of patients with clinical improvement had GH less than or equal to 10 ng/ml, 50% had GH less than or equal to 5 ng/ml, while 42% had somatomedin C less than or equal to 3.0 U/ml. All patients who were evaluated at 1 yr or less after therapy had elevated somatomedin C levels with normal or near normal GH values. In contrast only 2 of 11 patients evaluated at more than 1 yr after therapy had a mild persistence of somatomedin C elevation with normal GH levels. Determination of somatomedin c costs more than GH determinations and appears to offer no apparent advantage over GH in following patients treated for acromegaly.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1981

Primary pituitary aspergillosis responding to transsphenoidal surgery and combined therapy with amphotericin-B and 5-fluorocytosine: case report.

Pituitary abscess is an unusual cause of sella turcica enlargement. Because its presentation closely mimics that of a pituitary tumor, the condition is seldom recognized preoperatively. Most cases have been of bacterial etiology; however, a single patient with a primary mycotic pituitary abscess secondary to Aspergillus species has been reported. That patient died of diffuse Aspergillus meningoencephalitis following a transfrontal craniotomy. In the present case, a woman with primary pituitary aspergillosis survived her infection with virtually intact pituitary function following a transsphenoidal approach which avoided contamination of cerebrospinal fluid. Postoperative amphotericin-B and 5-fluorocytosine therapy probably contributed greatly to her survival. Factors that should alert the clinician to the presence of a pituitary abscess in a patient with sella turcica enlargement are prior episodes of meningitis, sinusitis, or cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities, including pleocytosis, depressed glucose, and elevated protein.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed1980

Corticotrophin, growth hormone and prolactin deficiencies with hypoaldosteronism and corticosteroid-reversible hypothyroidism in Sheehan's syndrome. Clinical and anatomical correlations.

Deficiencies of corticotrophin (ACTH), growth hormone, and prolactin were documented in a woman with diabetes mellitus and Sheehan's syndrome. The patient's ACTH deficit appeared to be secondary to a hypothalamic abnormality since on two occasions the patient had a marked plasma ACTH response to vasopressin but not to insulin induced hypoglycaemia. It is postulated that the deficits of these three adenohypophysial hormones were instrumental in causing a severely impaired aldosterone secretory capacity in response to sodium restriction and an angiotensin infusion. In addition, the patient had an unusual form of thyroid dysfunction that was in part reversed with hydrocortisone replacement. The patient's unfortunate death during a hypoglycaemic crisis allowed correlation between her extensive antemortum endocrine testing and her pathologic anatomy.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1980

Concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with germinal cell hypothalamic tumors.

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were measured simultaneously for human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in two patients with HCG-secreting choriocarcinoma. In the patients with hypothalamic tumors, the CSF HCG levels were higher than the plasma HCG concentrations. In the patient with gestational choriocarcinoma with no known cerebral metastases, the plasma HCG level greatly exceeded the CSF HCG concentration. The finding of a CSF HCG concentration that approaches or exceeds the plasma value would be a useful screening procedure in localizing a pathologic source of HCG secretion in patients with a suspected hypothalamic tumor. An unexpected finding in the patient who also had a hypothalamic embryonal cell carcinoma and hypocortisolism was an extremely high concentration of a biologically inactive adrenocorticotropic like substance in the CSF.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

CSF prolactin determination in patients following operation for pituitary tumor.

Serial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma prolactin concentrations were determined from patients during prolactin stimulatory testing with thyrotropin-releasing hormone or during pneumoencephalographic stress. Six patients had been operated on for suprasellar extension of pituitary tumor and one had been irradiated for suprasellar extension of a pituitary tumor. Prior to testing, four patients had had no clinical evidence of tumor recurrence and 3 patients had had tumor recurrence. One of the recurrent tumors had again extended into a suprasellar location. Basal CSF prolactin was undetectable in all patients who had had no recurrence. In 3 of the 4 patients without recurrence, however, prolactin became detectable in CSF during stimulatory testing. CSF prolactin values also increased during stimulatory testing in the patient with suprasellar recurrence of the tumor. A basal CSF-to-plasma prolactin ratio was 0.1 or less in all patients without recurrence. In the 2 patients with recurrence but without suprasellar extension, the CSF-to-plasma prolactin ratio was 0.18 or less. The patient with suprasellar recurrence had a strikingly elevated CSF-to-plasma prolactin ratio of 1.1. Thus, an increase of CSF prolactin during stimulatory testing does not necessarily indicate suprasellar recurrence of a pituitary tumor. However, an elevated CSF-to-plasma prolactin ratio appears to remain a valid indicator of suprasellar extension despite prior pituitary surgery.

Adenoma, Acidophil↗
PubMed1979

Medullary sponge kidney and renal-leak hypercalciuria. A link to the development of parathyroid adenoma?

The pathogenesis of the association of medullary sponge kidney and hyperparathyroidism from parathyroid adenoma remains obscure. This unusual case of medullary sponge kidney and secondary hyperparathyroidism due to renal-leak hypercalciuria gives insight into a possible mechanism for the occurrence of medullary sponge kidney with parathyroid adenoma. Suppressible hyperparathyroidism due to renal calcium wasting could represent an intermediate stage in the development of unsuppressible parathyroid hormone secretion. Thus, parathyroid adenoma occurring with medullary sponge kidney may represent a consequence of disordered renal calcium excretion rather than a primary abnormality.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1979

Alcohol-induced Cushingoid syndrome.

A 35-year-old woman with alcoholic liver disease presented with physical stigmas and laboratory confirmation of Cushing's syndrome. With discontinuance of alcohol, her signs of Cushing's syndrome resolved and the urinary free cortisol and the urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroid response to dexamethasone returned to normal. These findings broaden the spectrum of deranged glucocorticoid chemistry that can occur in alcohol-induced cushingoid syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Alternating atrial and ventricular tachycardia.

A patient with alternating atrial and ventricular tachycardia is described. He had an acute myocardial infarction and was taking digitalis. The atrial tachycardia, which was occasionally associated with aberrant ventricular conduction, was able to interrupt the ventricular tachycardia though the reverse was not true, suggesting a retrograde conduction block. This patient shows that atrial and ventricular arrhythmias can alternate and, since tachycardia with aberrant ventricular conduction can closely resemble ventricular tachycardia, intra-atrial electrocardiography may be necessary to establish an accurate diagnosis.

Digoxin↗
PubMed1979

Nelson's syndrome and spontaneous pituitary tumor infarction.

Large, adrenocorticotrophic hormone-secreting pituitary tumors (Nelson's syndrome) developed in four of 12 patients treated with a bilateral adrenalectomy for Cushing's disease. Two of the patients with Nelson's syndrome suffered spontaneous pituitary tumor infarctions. One patient improved under close observation and subsequent radiation therapy, although she ultimately died from her locally invasive tumor. The condition of the other patient-which had stabilized-appeared to be worsened by surgical intervention. The high incidence of these tumors after bilateral adrenalectomy, their large and agressive nature, and their apparent propensity to undergo spontaneous infarction supports the position that initial therapy for Cushing's disease should be directed to the pituitary gland.

Adrenalectomy↗
PubMed1978

Rupture of a parasellar aneurysm with a coexisting pituitary tumor.

The unusual occurrence of a pituitary tumor and a parasellar aneurysm is reported. The aneurysm ruptured and mimicked spontaneous infarction of the pituitary tumor. The importance of performing cerebral angiography before emergency surgical decompression of a presumed pituitary tumor infarction is emphasized.

Adenoma, Acidophil↗
PubMed1978

Dissociation of plasma and CSF prolactin heterogeneity.

Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 3 patients with suprasellar extension of a pituitary tumour were fractionated by column chromatography. "Big" and "little" prolactin were found in plasma but only "little" prolactin was found in CSF. Prolactin containing CSF from 2 of the patients was incubated with prolactin-free plasma and chromatographed. The elution patterns demonstrated a striking shift toward the [125I]albumin marker resembling the "big" and "little" prolactin pattern seen in native plasma. In addition, [125I]h prolactin was incubated with prolactin-free plasma and rechromatographed. A substantial early eluting peak of radioactivity occurred in the zone of albumin elution. The presence of only "little" prolactin in CSF and the conversion of CSF "little" prolactin to "big" prolactin by exposure to plasma suggest that "big" prolactin is not a prohormone but results from binding of "little" prolactin to plasma proteins or aggregation of "little" prolactin in the presence of plasma.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Delayed cure of Cushing's disease after transsphenoidal surgery of pituitary microadenomas. Report of two cases.

Transsphenoidal microdissection has been proposed as a preferred means of treating Cushing's disease. This procedure allows the surgeon to remove a pituitary microadenoma and at the same time to preserve normal tissue. Two cases described here were treated by this method. An interesting and important observation was that neither patient appeared to be cured for 2 to 6 weeks after surgery, as assessed by dexamethasone suppression. Later, normal suppressibility occurred and the course of each patient was compatible with cure. Patients treated by this method should not be automatically retreated because of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) non-suppressibility in the early postoperative period.

Adenoma, Chromophobe↗