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University of Patras

Patients with adrenal adenomas and autonomous cortisol secretion. Impact of hypercortisolism on skeletal and adipose tissue mass, measured in abdominal computed tomography

Abstract

dc:description

Context: Abdominal visceral adiposity and central sarcopenia are markers of increased cardiovascular risk and mortality. Objective: To assess whether central sarcopenia and adiposity can serve as a marker of disease severity in patients with adrenal adenomas and glucocorticoid secretory autonomy. Design: Retrospective cohort study Patients: Twenty-five patients with overt Cushing syndrome (CS), 48 patients with mild autonomous cortisol excess (MACE), and 32 patients with a non-functioning adrenal tumor (NFAT) were included. Methods: Medical records were reviewed and body composition measurements (visceral fat [VAT], subcutaneous fat [SAT], visceral/total fat [V/T], visceral/subcutaneous [V/S] and total abdominal muscle mass) were calculated based on abdominal computed tomography (CT). Results: In patients with overt CS, when compared to patients with NFAT, the V/T fat and the V/S ratio were increased by 0.08 (P<0.001) and by 0.3 (P<0.001); however, these measurements were decreased by 0.04 (P=0.007) and 0.2 (P=0.01), respectively in patients with MACE. Total muscle mass was decreased by -10 cm2 (P =0.02) in patients with overt CS compared to patients with NFAT.Correlation with morning serum cortisol concentrations after dexamethasone suppression testing revealed that for every 28nmol/L cortisol increase there was a 0.008 increase in V/T (P<0.001), 0.02 increase in the V/S fat ratio (P<0.001), and a 1.2 cm2 decrease in mean total muscle mass (P=0.002). Conclusions: The severity of hypercortisolism was correlated with lower muscle mass and higher visceral adiposity. These CT-based markers may allow for a more reliable and objective assessment of glucocorticoid-related disease severity in patients with adrenal adenomas.

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Δεληβάνη, Δανάη
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Κυριαζοπούλου, Βενετσάνα
  • Delivani, Danae
  • Γώγος, Χαράλαμπος
  • Bancos, Irina
  • Χαμπαίος, Ιωάννης
  • Ακινοσόγλου, Καρολίνα-Ανθούλα
  • Ζαμπάκης, Πέτρος
  • Καλογεροπούλου, Χριστίνα

Subjects

dc:subject × 8

Rights

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Statement dc:rights
  • 0
Language dc:language
en_US

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Handle dc:identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10889/12114
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:nemertes.library.upatras.gr:10889/12114

Chain of custody

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University of Patras
Base URL
nemertes.lis.upatras.gr/server/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-27
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citation

Δεληβάνη, Δανάη. Patients with adrenal adenomas and autonomous cortisol secretion. Impact of hypercortisolism on skeletal and adipose tissue mass, measured in abdominal computed tomography. 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10889/12114