You are shadowing an endocrinologist during her rounds in the hospital. You enter the room of a woman who was admitted from the emergency department with a wide array of symptoms. Blood tests reveal hyperglycemia. The results of a glucose tolerance test are normal. Other blood tests show that he has normal levels of epinephrine and thyroid hormone, but levels of cortisol are abnormally high and ACTH is abnormally low. He has (truthfully) says that he has not been taking any drugs or medications. Wanting to impress the doctor, you carefully consider these facts and suggest that ...

A. the patient has diabetes.
B. the patient has Grave’s disease.
C. the patient is suffering side effects from long-term glucocorticoid therapy.
D. the patient has a pheochromocytoma (an over-secreting tumor of the adrenal medulla).
E. you have no idea! None of the above is likely to be the correct diagnosis.