A Minimally Invasive Approach to the Management of Bronchial Carcinoid Tumors Associated with Ectopic Cushing's Syndrome.

Cushing's Syndrome is usually the result of a pituitary corticotroph or an adrenocortical adenoma. Rarely, an ectopic carcinoid tumor can elaborate sufficient amounts of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) to result in cortisol excess and Cushing's Syndrome. The diagnosis and management of these unusual neoplasms remains problematic. We describe two cases of Cushing's Syndrome where the diagnosis of ectopic disease was suspected on the basis of inferior petrosal sinus sampling (IPSS). We also describe a minimally invasive thoracoscopic approach to the resection of pulmonary carcinoid tumors. We believe that this technique offers a significant improvement over conventional thoracotomy for the management of potentially compromised patients with Cushing's Syndrome, while still permitting definitive histologic confirmation of the diagnosis.