R. Baloescu *
* Dr. Rene Baloescu – doctor în științe Medicale, medic primar endocrinolog, Institutul de Endocrinologie, C.I. Parhan – București
Abstract
We report results obtained in 35 patients with Cushing disease (25 females and 10 males) 20 – 60 years old trated with the long-acting somatostatin analog (Sandostatin Sandoz – Novartis) for 30 to 90 days at progressively increasing doses (300 µg up to 1200 µg daily). A rapid, marked and long-lasting suppression of the cortisol and UFC secretion was noted after the first injection in 15 patients, after 48 h. In time, ACTH value decreased under 20 pg/ml in 7 patien.ts after 48 h. In 6 patients after 1 week of treatment with Sandostatin 300 µg/24 h it was noted a moderate reduction of ACTH level, but a significant reduction of cortisol and UFC. In other 7 patients, after 1 week of treatment with Sandostatin 300 µg/24 h, it was noted that cortisol, UFC and ACTH values normalized in following 3 – 4 days. In one patient, a dose of 1200 µ g/24 h caused adrenal insufficiency which proved to be reversible when treatment was discontinued. Conversely, in the other 4 patients, Sandostatin had no significant effect on cortisol and UFC levels. The difference in response do not seem to be related to the administered dose. These may be linked to the number and/of affinities of somatostatin receptors on ACTH-secreting tumours, whether of pituitary origin or not