Diagnosis of an ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting bronchial carcinoid by somatostatin receptor scintigraphy

Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) syndrome accounts for 10%–20% of the cases of ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome (1). Ectopic ACTH secretion typically results from an occult, slow-growing bronchial carcinoid tumor. The diagnosis of these relatively small tumors can be difficult with conventional imaging procedures, such as computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (2). Herein, we present a case of ectopic ACTH syndrome arising from a bronchial carcinoid tumor that was diagnosed with somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS).