Cushing syndrome (CS) is a disorder rarely found during pregnancy. Patients with CS usually receive treatment before pregnancy. In addition, hypercortisolism suppresses gonadotropins, leading to amenorrhea or irregular menstruation. Therefore, few reports have described cases of pregnancy with untreated CS. Here, we observed the changes in the cortisol level of a 38-year-old woman with adrenal CS before and throughout pregnancy and delivery. She also had primary aldosteronism, and we were able to follow her plasma aldosterone levels. Her symptoms of CS before pregnancy were submandibular acne and irregular menstruation, but after conception, "moon face" and fatigue appeared. Laboratory tests also revealed impaired glucose tolerance, hypokalemia, lymphocytopenia, and increased urinary free cortisol levels. After administration of metyrapone to ameliorate her general condition, laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed in the nineteenth week of pregnancy. After the operation, the patient's symptoms improved, and the cortisol level was maintained with hydrocortisone supplementation. The patient's plasma aldosterone level and blood pressure did not deteriorate throughout the course. However, the delivery was complicated by placental abruption. One month after delivery, the mother presented with compression fractures. We review the literature and discuss the treatment and complications of pregnancy with CS.
Keywords: Cushing syndrome; compression fracture; placental abruption; pregnancy; primary aldosteronism.
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society.