Distinguishing Cushing's disease from the ectopic ACTH syndrome: Needles in a haystack or hiding in plain sight?

Abstract

In the context of ACTH‐dependent Cushing's syndrome, ectopic ACTH secretion from a neuroendocrine tumour is not uncommon, and needs to be carefully differentiated from pituitary‐dependent Cushing's syndrome, Cushing's disease, in order to optimise therapy. Some cases may be quite obvious, while in others the diagnosis may be difficult to confirm and the source of ACTH problematic, as many clinical and biochemical tests may overlap with Cushing's disease. Imaging is essential, but needs to be interpreted in the light of both anatomical as well as functional imaging modalities. In this review we summarise some of the main diagnostic problems, and emphasise the multimodal and interdisciplinary nature of the diagnostic pathways.