Minutus

Yes, including the behind, which leads me to an off topic news
comment I can not help but make today:
A new City law in the town near here (Yakima) has ruled it illegal to
show
"Cleavage of the Buttocks"
I just heard that and can't help having a good laugh.

When I was a kid, it was fallen socks that were at fault. Literally
and otherwise... "Pull up your socks" was the command.
Looks like no more tripping over fallen pants - in Yakima at least:-)

Namaste,
Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."

Hi Irene,
Wouldn't THAT be nice?

The case I was thinking of is a woman my own age (73) a longtime
friend and "patient".

At age 39 she had an operation removing a benign tumour from the right
ovary - the ovary was not removed.

After that, her pubic hair - sahve for the surgery - never came back
and the body hair (not eyebrows) disappeared. She did not pay any
attention - at the time there was too much else going on, later she
just did not think about it. Her gynecologist, at routine check-ups,
never remarked on it either.

About 15 years ago hyp-thyroidism was diagnosed due to auto-immune
process. She has been taken Thyroid hormones since.

At a check-up vor this condition 2 or 3 years ago she asked for some
additional blood tests (I don't off-hand remember what for). This
turned out negative, but there was a coincidal result: The ACTH was
totally suppressed and there was some other finding - both of them
pointed to hypercortisolism (she had never taken prednisone or
anything like it). X-rays were taken and showed enlargement of both
adrenal cortexes.

Provocation tests showed inconlusionary results.

24 hour urine tests were negative. On repetition also normal.

After long consideration she refused further diagnostic involving
catheters to the adrenal areas, since she would not want an operation
(removing the adrenals) anyway.

Well, obviously the lack of ACTH was there 35 years ago. As to the
rest, one does not know.

I have tried to read up on this, research etc - but I have found no
mechanism by which this can be explained on the current knowledge.

When the question of fat distribution came up this just came to mind.

Regards

Luise
--
One thought to all who, free of doubt,
So definitely know what's true:
2 and 2 is 22 -
and 2 times 2 is 2:-)
==========> ICQ yinyang 96391801 <==========

<< The ACTH was

Sounds to me like this is the key - WHY is it depressed?

There is a feedback loop between ACTH and cortisol, but even people
with *very* high cortisol from sources other than ACTH excess - still
produce at least a low normal ACTH - it is not totally suppressed by
the high cortisol in any case I know of.
If hers is, there's possibly a different reason than cortisol... and
that is confirmed by her 24-hr cortisol being normal.

So I'd look for an endocrinologist to see why ACTH is suppressed,
looking for WHAT is suppressing it, chemically.
(Be sure to tell the specialist about the thyroid issues - as
interactions occur there too.)

There are complex feedback loops involved in pituitary feedback
loops, and someone who really knows their stuff should be able to go
after it.
It's horrid how many poorly qualified endos are out there - the
average person with Cushings on the email list goes through 12 to 30
professionals before getting anywhere!

Namaste,
Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."

Hi Irene,
Well, over here (at least in the regiion of my friend and also myself)
there are few Ends in private praxis anyway. The above testings etc.
were done at the ambulatory clinic of a nuniversity hospital's dep. of
endocrinology. Ther is no chance of their doing such additional tests
before they have done at least the catheter work to exclude primary
hyper cortisolism to account for the ACTH suppression;-(

Regards

Luise
--
One thought to all who, free of doubt,
So definitely know what's true:
2 and 2 is 22 -
and 2 times 2 is 2:-)
==========> ICQ yinyang 96391801 <==========