[Comparison of diagnostic methods for osteoporosis in endogenous hypercorticism]

The informative value of diagnosis of osteoporosis in 53 patients with Itsenko-Cushing disease was assessed by visual estimation of radiograms of the axial skeleton, standard x-ray densitometry of the phalanges of the thumbs and single-photon absorptiometry of the distal parts of antebrachial bones. Diagnosis of osteoporosis and its evaluation over time were shown to be accurate in combination of visual assessment of radiograms of the axial skeleton with standard x-ray densitometry of the peripheral parts of the skeleton. Single-photon absorptiometry revealed no decrease in the level of the osseous mineral in the forearm of patients with endogenous hypercorticoidism. In the majority of female patients this indicator even exceeded the normal age value. Possible causes of this phenomenon are under discussion.