POMC and neoplasm: The clinical picture of hypercorticism due to EAS tumours, unlike CD, is characterized by rapid deterioration of specific symptoms of the disease including marked hypokalemia, skin hyperpigmentation, high evening plasma and salivary ACTH and cortisol levels as well as daily urinary free cortisol, the absence of a 60% or greater reduction of cortisol in the HDDST test, and the presence of a low (less than 2) cortisol gradient in response to desmopressin administration with catheterization of cavernous sinuses.