Assessment of cure after transsphenoidal surgery for Cushing's disease

The best long-term results of transsphenoidal surgery appear to be in those patients who have unmeasurable serum cortisol levels in the immediate post-operative period. This appears to be due to isolated ACTH deficiency in the remaining normal pituitary gland. In our experience, however, long-term clinical remission may be possible with measurable serum cortisol levels post-operatively. The cortisol response to ACTH or CRF appears to provide no greater discrimination than basal measurements and is possibly less helpful than dexamethasone suppression. The prolonged clinical remission that we have seen in some patients with early measurable but low cortisol levels, together with the possible operative morbidity and partial success of repeat surgery, suggests careful assessment before a recommendation is made of an immediate second operation in these patients. The possibility of cyclical secretion of cortisol must be considered both pre and post-operatively. Finally, as experience with transsphenoidal surgery is still relatively short, all these patients need continuing endocrine follow-up in centres with adequate experience of the condition. For the individual patient we recommend that decisions regarding further therapy are based on 0800-0900 h serum cortisol levels, an index of cortisol production (serum cortisol day profiles or 24 hour urinary free cortisol), and the response to low dose dexamethasone suppression in the early post-operative period.