A 34-year-old male patient with suspected pheochromocytoma was referred to our department for paroxysmal hypertension. Pheochromocytoma was confirmed by very high plasma nor-metanephrine ( NMN ) and metanephrine ( MN ). Contrast CT of the adrenal disclosed a 3.0 cm x 3.0 cm mass in the left adrenal. 18 F-FDG-PET-CT showed high uptake only in the left adrenal. When the patient's blood pressure was well controlled with 4 mg/d doxazosin for 2 weeks, surgery was then performed under laparoscopy. A round solid left adrenal pheochromocytoma was resected. After surgery, plasma MN and NMN levels returned to normal, and the patient was free of clinical symptoms with normal blood pressure. This patient has been followed 3 years with normal blood pressure, MN, and NMN levels, without tumor recurrence shown hy adrenal CT.

A 57-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital because of sustained hyponatremia within stress dose of hydrocortisone replacement after transsphenoidal partial pituitary tumor surgery. Multiple clinical parameters investigation for 2 weeks was shown increasing serum Na+and uric acid level and decreasing blood pressure level under water restriction about 500 ml/d, and even without hydrocortisone replacement, the serum Na+ still maintain normal level. After surgeries and radiotherapy, the tumor was undetectable and serum Na+ level was within the normal range without any water restriction.

[Summary] A 61-year-old female patient was diagnosed as ACTH independent Cushing′ syndrome, right adrenal adenoma, right facial infection. The situation was well controlled with antibacterial agents, abscess incision drainage and ketoconazole therapy. The patient received partial adrenolectomy of her right adrenal gland 16 months later. This case indicated that anti-adrenal agents could be a reasonable choice when the Cushing′syndrome patients were acompanied with severe infection.

ObjectiveTo retrospectively analyse the data of patients with suspected primary aldosteronism (PA) during the last five years.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the value of aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR) in screening primary aldosteronism.MethodsThe clinical data of ARR in supine and upright positions were collected in 590 patients with suspected during January 2006 to August 2010.There were 357 patients diagnosed as primary aldosteronism and 233 patients as essential hypertension among these patients.100 patients with suspected primary aldosteronism took the upright and random ARR during September 2010 to April 2011 ; Among these patients,29 patients were diagnosed as primary aldosteronism and 71 as cases of essential hypertension.ROC curve was made to retrospectively define the method and the cut-off value of the supine,upright or random ARR.ResultsThe area under the curve(AUC) of the supine ARR in the 590 patients who took the supine and upright ARR during January 2006 to August 2010 was 0.838 (0.805-0.867 ) and the AUC of the upright ARR was 0.873 (0.843-0.899 ).There was significant difference between these two AUC readings (P＜0.01 ).The AUC in the upright ARR of the 100 patients who took the upright and random ARR during Septeuder 2010 to April 2011 was 0.962 (0.928 -0.995 ) and the AUC of the random ARR was 0.944 (0.893-0.994 ).There was no significant difference between these two AUC readings (P＞0.05).The upright ARR cutoff value with 400 ( pg · ml-1 )/( ng· ml-1 · h 1 ) yielded a sensitivity of 91.9％ and a specificity of 64.2％ to diagnosis of PA.ConclusionUpright ARR value was more suitable in the screening test than supine ARR value.Random ARR showed similar effect as the upright ARR.In our research,under strict control of the drug,position and detection time,ARR value with 400 ( pg · ml-1 )/( ng· ml-1 · h-1 ) can be the cutoff point in screening the suspcctcd PA patients.

d, suggesting that the mutation rate of SDHB gene in sporadic Chinese patients with pheochromocytoma might be around 3%.

[Summary] A 47 years old female presented with palpitation, tremble, sweaty, and weight gain. Insulinoma was suspended and confirmed with hypoglycemia caused by endogenous hyperinsulinemia. The CT scan was failed to localize the tumor. MRI and ASVS showed inconsistent results. A nutrient arterial was found by arterial angiography and explained the different results. Robert assistant surgery successfully removed the tumor and the patient was well recovered.

Objective To determine the content of aconitine-type alkaloids in Bitongxiao Ointment,and to control the limits of aconitine-type alkaloids in the ointment.Methods Acid-dye colorimetry was employed and methodology was examined for linear range,average recovery,precision,exclusivity and stability.Results The method has a good precision and stability.The linear range of aconitine-type alkaloids was in 0.111 9～0.714 mg(r=0.999 3),and the average recovery was 97.4 %.Conclusion The method is accurate,reliable,simple,can be used to determine the content of aconitine-type alkaloids in Bitongxiao Ointment.

[Summary] All patients with cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme ( P450scc) deficiency that have been reported presented with early adrenal failure. Here we described a 35-year-old male presented with infertility as the only initial presenting complaint. He had received two separate surgeries to remove bilateral testicular masses. We reevaluated the resected tumors and found testicular adrenal rest tumor ( TART) pathology in the resected tumor. We profiled steroid hormones and found significantly elevated ACTH. CT scan revealed bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. Mutation screening identified compound heterozygous mutations (R353W and P432L) in the P450scc encoding gene (CYP11A1). The patient was finally diagnosed as congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Objective To evaluate the values of bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling ( BIPSS),high dosage dexamethasone suppression test (HDDST) and pituitary image in the differential diagnosis of ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome. Methods Totally 87 patients with confirmed pathological diagnosis were recruited in the study.All received the procedure of BLPSS,HDDST,and pituitary MRI with dynamic enhancement.The diagnostic performances of three differential diagnosis methods in ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome were evaluated.Results Seventy-eight patients were diagnosed as cases of pituitary ACTH adenoma,and the remaining 9 were confirmed cases of ectopic ACTH syndrome due to the thymic carcinoid.The sensitivity and specificity of HDDST,pituitary MRI,and BIPSS for the diagnosis of ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome were 82.1％ and 100％,79.5％ and 44.4％,92.3％ and 100％,respectively.In Cushing's disease,the diagnostic accuracy was 83.9％ with HDDST,77.0％with pituitary MRI,and93.1％ with BIPSS.In those patients with Cushing's disease,the coincidence of lateralization was 83.9％ with BIPSS and 64.5％ with MRII.Conclusion BIPSS was better than the other two methods in differential diagnosis of ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome.Compared with the pituitary MRI,the concordant rate of BIPSS in lateralization of the tumor is higher,and it is more reliable.