Treatment of Cushing's disease: a retrospective clinical study of the latest 100 cases.

We evaluate the current role of microsurgery for Cushing's disease (CD) and the efficacy of adjuvant treatment modalities. The standard treatment for primary CD remains transsphenoidal surgery followed by adjuvant therapy in cases with persisting hypercortisolism. Moderately severe cases are treated with radiotherapy, while in the very severe adrenalectomy is performed. In our series of primary CD (March 1997 to September 2004, mean observation period 18.8 months) adenomas were confirmed intraoperatively in 84.0% of the cases. Remission was achieved in 75.0% and recurrence was observed in 4.8% of the patients. Complications occurred in 2.0% of the cases and all resolved without resulting in permanent morbidity. In the literature, the rates of intraoperative confirmation of an adenoma vary between 59.1 and 100%, remission rates between 42 and 100%, and recurrence rates between 3.0 and 63.2% depending on the experience of the surgeon and on the definition of remission. These rates have not improved significantly over the years. In experienced hands selective adenomectomy remains the least damaging and most effective treatment modality since it results in rapid clinical improvement if performed successfully. Therefore, it remains the treatment of choice. Patients not cured by surgery alone benefited from a combination of adjuvant treatment tailored to their specific needs using medications, radiation and/or adrenalectomy. In this fashion, we achieved normalization of cortisol levels in 79% and improvement in another 18% of the patients. We expect these rates to increase further once patients treated with radiotherapy begin to experience its full effect within the next few years.