Towards a universally accepted definition of subclinical Cushing's syndrome – subclinical autonomous hypercortisolism

Abstract

The concept of subclinical cortisol excess and importantly its relevance remains a controversial issue in Endocrinology ^{1, 2}. Preclinical Cushing's syndrome ³, subclinical Cushing's syndrome or subclinical hypercortisolism ², recently rebadged in the European Society of Endocrinology Guidelines as "autonomous cortisol secretion" ⁴, is an example where a universally agreed upon definition (and name) has proven to be elusive. It has even been suggested that the syndrome is often an artefact of currently available tests of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function ^{5, 6}.

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