Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34046013›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in endocrinology2021

Synacthen Stimulation Test Following Unilateral Adrenalectomy Needs to Be Interpreted With Caution.

Shamaila Zaman, Raya Almazrouei, Amir H Sam, Aimee N DiMarco, Jeannie F Todd, Fausto F Palazzo, Tricia Tan, Waljit S Dhillo, Karim Meeran, Florian Wernig

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Shamaila ZamanDepartment of Endocrinology, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Raya AlmazroueiDepartment of Endocrinology, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Amir H SamDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Aimee N DiMarcoDepartment of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgery, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Jeannie F ToddDepartment of Endocrinology, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Fausto F PalazzoDepartment of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgery, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Tricia TanDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Waljit S DhilloDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Karim MeeranDivision of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.
Florian WernigDepartment of Endocrinology, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Imperial College London · GBHammersmith Hospital · GBImperial College Healthcare NHS Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Cortisol levels in response to stress are highly variable. Baseline and stimulated cortisol levels are commonly used to determine adrenal function following unilateral adrenalectomy. We report the results of synacthen stimulation testing following unilateral adrenalectomy in a tertiary referral center. Methods: Data were collected retrospectively for 36 patients who underwent synacthen stimulation testing one day post unilateral adrenalectomy. None of the patients had clinical signs of hypercortisolism preoperatively. No patient received pre- or intraoperative steroids. Patients with overt Cushing's syndrome were excluded. Results: The median age was 58 (31-79) years. Preoperatively, 16 (44%) patients had a diagnosis of pheochromocytoma, 12 (33%) patients had primary aldosteronism and 8 (22%) patients had non-functioning adenomas with indeterminate/atypical imaging characteristics necessitating surgery. Preoperative overnight dexamethasone suppression test results revealed that 6 of 29 patients failed to suppress cortisol to <50 nmol/L. Twenty (56%) patients achieved a stimulated cortisol ≥450 nmol/L at 30 minutes and 28 (78%) at 60 minutes. None of the patients developed clinical adrenal insufficiency necessitating steroid replacement. Conclusions: Synacthen stimulation testing following unilateral adrenalectomy using standard stimulated cortisol cut-off values would wrongly label many patients adrenally insufficient and may lead to inappropriate prescriptions of steroids to patients who do not need them.

Indexed as

AdenomaAdrenalectomyAdrenal Gland NeoplasmsAdrenal InsufficiencyAdultAgedCosyntropinCushing SyndromeDexamethasoneEndocrinologyFemaleHumansHydrocortisoneHyperaldosteronismMaleMiddle Agedadrenocorticotropin zincCosyntropinDexamethasoneHydrocortisoneadrenalectomyadrenal insufficiencyautonomous cortisol secretionover-night dexamethasone suppression testsynacthen stimulation test

Identifiers

PMID34046013
PMCPMC8147556
OpenAlexW3161566369

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.