Dexamethasone Test

The issue of diagnosing tumors of the adrenal cortex is relevant for modern medicine. One of the methods is the use of a decamethasone test (DMP). This method was proposed more than fifty years ago and has been refined by modern researchers to effectively identify patients suffering from adrenal tumors. In this article we will look at the essence of the DMP method, as well as the possible difficulties of using this technique.

Dexamethasone is a synthetic analogue of the hormone cortisol, secreted by the adrenal cortex. It has pronounced biological activity and affects various organs and systems of the body. The use of DMC begins with giving the patient's body a dose of dexamethosone. Dexmetazole suppresses the pituitary and adrenal glands and the release of cortisol from them. Then the patient takes a hormone containing 0.5 mg of dexamethasole orally, 3 hours and 24 hours after taking the drug, a urine test is performed for the content of cortisol and other glycocorticides. The patient's failure to note the release of glucocorticoids after administration of dexamethalon indicates the presence of an adrenal tumor. This technique is used for early detection of tumors. It can also be used for differential diagnosis. Also sometimes used is the injection of a contrast agent into the muscle tissue above the adrenal glands, and if a tumor is present, the contrast accumulates near the organ and is clearly visible on an x-ray.

Dexamethasone is a drug from the group of glucocosteroid hormones. It is used as an anti-stress, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic drug. In low doses it blocks the effect of the pituitary gland, in high doses it causes the reduction of fat cells.

Dexamethasone has an extremely negative effect on patients with tumors from the adrenal cortex. A dexamethasation test is performed to diagnose the latter. The method is as follows: the patient takes 20 mg of dexamethasane and monitors how quickly the sodium level in the urine decreases. In the absence of this effect, the presence of a tumor can be said with a high degree of probability. Such an analysis can be taken no more than once every six months (dexamethasone must be discontinued before each analysis). This is because dosing every 70 days impairs adrenal mineralocorticoid function by 58% (the study shows that the ability to maintain adequate sodium levels gradually decreases), resulting in increasing laboratory failure in long-term follow-up.