ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE IMMUNOASSAY INTERFERENCE IN A PATIENT WITH SUBCLINICAL HYPERCORTISOLISM

Immunoassays are vulnerable to occasional analytical errors despite their sensitivity and specificity. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is among hormones which are vulnerable to assay interference.

In this case report, we aimed to present a case of ACTH interference in a patient with subclinical hypercortisolism.

We present a case of subclinical hypercortisolism with unexpectedly elevated levels of ACTH in whom interference was shown by different biochemical methods.It is important for the clinician to keep in mind the possibility of interference when clinical and laboratory results are discordant. The communication between the clinician and laboratory staff is important while interpreting results. This case report shows that ACTH interference should be considered in patients with subclinical hypercortisolism who have unexpectedly high levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone.