Kidney Stones as an Underrecognized Clinical Sign in Pediatric Cushing Disease.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of kidney stones in a population of children with Cushing disease (CD) and to compare it with the prevalence of kidney stones in healthy children.

Study Design: Clinical and biochemical data from 139 pediatric patients with CD (68 females, 71 males) were analyzed retrospectively. Computed tomography scans were reviewed for kidney stones.

Results: Among 139 patients, 27 with CD (19.4%) had either radiographic evidence and/or a history of kidney stones. Those with kidney stones had higher urine free cortisol (P = .008) and transsphenoidal surgery at an older age (P = .007). The average urinary calcium/creatinine ratio was elevated in patients with CD (0.22 ± 0.11). The prevalence of kidney stones was higher in children with CD than in normal children (19.42% vs 1.0%; P < .001).

Conclusion: Our results illustrate that kidney stones are an underestimated complication of pediatric CD, especially when compared with the prevalence of nephrolithiasis in the general pediatric population. Long-term consequences for kidney function are not known and need to be studied.