Nelson Syndrome

Excerpt

Nelson syndrome or post adrenalectomy syndrome was first reported in 1958 in one patient by Dr. Don H. Nelson, an endocrinology fellow at the time. This clinical syndrome was initially called a postadrenalectomy syndrome, but later it was named after Dr. Nelson as "Nelson syndrome." In 1959, five additional patients were reported by Salassa et al.; thus, it is sometimes called the Nelson-Salassa syndrome. It describes a spectrum of symptoms that have been associated following bilateral adrenal gland resection for the treatment of Cushing disease. It is hypothesized that the loss of feedback inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis leads to the development of an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secreting pituitary tumor. Nelson syndrome usually occurs one to five years following bilateral adrenalectomies.