Laparoscopic treatment of Cushing's syndrome in a woman in late pregnancy - A case presentation

Abstract

Hypercortisolaemia during pregnancy constitutes a serious threat to life of the mother and fetus and may be associated with adrenocortical carcinoma. The objective of this study is to present the usefulness of laparoscopic procedures in treating adrenal tumours in such cases. One 21-year-old woman, 24 weeks pregnant, with hypertension and Cushing's syndrome due to a left adrenal tumour, underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy followed by hydrocortisone replacement. Spontaneous delivery occurred at the 37/38th week of gestation. At 3 months postpartum the function of the remaining adrenal gland was found to be normal. Similarly, imaging tests, abdominal CT scan and chest X-ray revealed no abnormalities. Pregnancy is not a contraindication for performing complicated laparoscopic procedures unless they are planned in advance and done by an experienced team.