A pregnant woman presented with Cushing’s syndrome (CS) secondary to adrenal adenoma and was treated with laparoscopic-assisted right adrenalectomy during the second trimester of pregnancy.
Our patient is a 33-year-old woman who presented with hypertension and cushingoid appearance at 21 weeks gestational age. Laboratory evidence indicated CS was likely, and imaging found a 2.3 x 3.0 cm right adrenal nodule as a suggested cause. Laparoscopic-assisted right adrenalectomy was performed at 23 weeks 4 days gestation without complication. Pathology of the removed specimen revealed an adrenal gland containing a 3.0 x 3.0 x 2.0 cm well-circumscribed proliferation of adrenal cortical cells without significant atypia. This report describes the rare occurrence of CS during pregnancy and subsequent successful surgical management. We review the diagnosis of CS during pregnancy and surgical considerations.
CS, while a rare entity in the general population, is even more unique in the setting of pregnancy due to the negative effects of hypercortisolism on fertility. CS during pregnancy presents a diagnostically complicated scenario, along with specific considerations necessary for successful surgical management.

Copyright© South Dakota State Medical Association.

Author