A 60-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Office Due to Difficulty

A 60-year-old woman comes to the office due to difficulty climbing stairs and dyspnea on exertion over the last 6 weeks.  The patient has a 40-pack-year smoking history.  Blood pressure is 160/90 mm Hg and pulse is 78/min.  Auscultation of the chest reveals decreased breath sounds over the right lung base.  Proximal muscle strength is 4 on a scale of 0-5.  Skin examination shows scattered ecchymoses.  Laboratory results show mild hyperglycemia and elevated 24-hour urinary free cortisol.  Serum cortisol level is at the upper limit of normal and is not suppressed following administration of low-dose dexamethasone.  Serum ACTH level is elevated.  Chest x-ray reveals a right lower lobe lung mass.  Which of the following changes are most likely to occur after administration of high-dose dexamethasone in this patient?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Correct Answer:

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