Lewis Blevins, MD
Professor
Medicine
School of Medicine

He has a special interest in Cushing's syndrome, also known as hypercortisolism, and has edited a book on the subject.

In his research, Blevins is interested in evaluating new methods for diagnosing Cushing's syndrome. He also studies the factors that medical professionals can use to predict whether treating pituitary tumors with surgery or other methods will succeed.

Blevins earned a medical degree at Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University and completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospitals. After completing a fellowship in endocrinology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, he served on the faculty at Emory University for four years and at Vanderbilt University for nine years.

• Socioeconomic predictors of case presentations and outcomes in 225 nonfunctional pituitary adenoma resections.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2021 Osorio RC, Pereira MP, Joshi RS, Donohue KC, Sneed P, Braunstein S, Theodosopoulos PV, El-Sayed IH, Gurrola J, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK
• When to Suspect Hidden Hypercortisolism in Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis.
  Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2021 Aresta C, Soranna D, Giovanelli L, Favero V, Parazzoli C, Gennari L, Persani L, Scillitani A, Blevins LS, Brown D, Einhorn D, Pivonello R, Pantalone KM, Lunde Jørgensen JO, Zambon A, Chiodini I
• Letter: COVID Conundrum: Postoperative COVID-19 Infections Following Endonasal Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery.
  Neurosurgery 2021 Young JS, Oh T, Arora T, Blevins LS, Aghi MK, El-Sayed IH, Kunwar S, Theodosopoulos PV
• Plurihormonal PIT-1-Positive Pituitary Adenomas: A Systematic Review and Single-Center Series.
  World neurosurgery 2021 Andrews JP, Joshi RS, Pereira MP, Oh T, Haddad AF, Pereira KM, Osorio RC, Donohue KC, Peeran Z, Sudhir S, Jain S, Beniwal A, Chopra AS, Sandhu NS, Tihan T, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Clinical characteristics and outcomes in elderly patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma.
  Neurosurgical focus 2020 Pereira MP, Oh T, Joshi RS, Haddad AF, Pereira KM, Osorio RC, Donohue KC, Peeran Z, Sudhir S, Jain S, Beniwal A, Gurrola J, El-Sayed IH, Blevins LS, Theodosopoulos PV, Kunwar S, Aghi MK
• Important Management Considerations In Patients With Pituitary Disorders During The Time Of The Covid-19 Pandemic.
  Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2020 Yuen KCJ, Blevins LS, Findling JW
• Clinical characteristics and outcomes of null-cell versus silent gonadotroph adenomas in a series of 1166 pituitary adenomas from a single institution.
  Neurosurgical focus 2020 Haddad AF, Young JS, Oh T, Pereira MP, Joshi RS, Pereira KM, Osorio RC, Donohue KC, Peeran Z, Sudhir S, Jain S, Beniwal A, Chopra AS, Sandhu NS, Theodosopoulos PV, Kunwar S, El-Sayed IH, Gurrola J, …
• Introduction to Pituitary Adenomas.
  Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2019 Aghi MK, Blevins LS
• Molecular Biology of Pituitary Adenomas.
  Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2019 Faltermeier CM, Magill ST, Blevins LS, Aghi MK
• Growth hormone and prolactin-staining tumors causing acromegaly: a retrospective review of clinical presentations and surgical outcomes.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2018 Rick J, Jahangiri A, Flanigan PM, Chandra A, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Surgical intervention for pituitary apoplexy: an analysis of functional outcomes.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2017 Rutkowski MJ, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Atypical pituitary adenoma: a clinicopathologic case series.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2017 Rutkowski MJ, Alward RM, Chen R, Wagner J, Jahangiri A, Southwell DG, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Lee H, Aghi MK
• Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Surgical versus Medical Treatment of Prolactinomas.
  Journal of neurological surgery. Part B, Skull base 2016 Zygourakis CC, Imber BS, Chen R, Han SJ, Blevins L, Molinaro A, Kahn JG, Aghi MK
• Abscess Formation in a Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenoma.
  World neurosurgery 2016 Safaee MM, Blevins L, Liverman CS, Theodosopoulos PV
• Hypophysitis: a single-center case series.
  Pituitary 2015 Imber BS, Lee HS, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK
• Improved versus worsened endocrine function after transsphenoidal surgery for nonfunctional pituitary adenomas: rate, time course, and radiological analysis.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2015 Jahangiri A, Wagner JR, Han SW, Tran MT, Miller LM, Chen R, Tom MW, Ostling LR, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Approach to the postoperative patient with Cushing's disease.
  Pituitary 2015 Rutkowski MJ, Breshears JD, Kunwar S, Aghi MK, Blevins LS
• The art of medicine.
  Neurosurgery 2015 Blevins LS
• Incidence of headache as a presenting complaint in over 1000 patients with sellar lesions and factors predicting postoperative improvement.
  Clinical neurology and neurosurgery 2015 Jahangiri A, Wagner JR, Chin AT, Han SW, Tran MT, Miller LM, Tom MW, Chen R, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• A predictive algorithm for evaluating elevated serum prolactin in patients with a sellar mass.
  Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 2014 Cheng JS, Salinas R, Molinaro A, Chang EF, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Rate and time course of improvement in endocrine function after more than 1000 pituitary operations.
  Neurosurgery 2014 Jahangiri A, Wagner J, Han SW, Tran MT, Miller LM, Tom MW, Ostling LR, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Morbidity of repeat transsphenoidal surgery assessed in more than 1000 operations.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2014 Jahangiri A, Wagner J, Han SW, Zygourakis CC, Han SJ, Tran MT, Miller LM, Tom MW, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK
• Cavernous and inferior petrosal sinus sampling and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging in the preoperative evaluation of Cushing's disease.
  Journal of neuro-oncology 2014 Potts MB, Shah JK, Molinaro AM, Blevins LS, Tyrrell JB, Kunwar S, Dowd CF, Hetts SW, Aghi MK
• Extended endoscopic endonasal approach for suprasellar Rathke's cleft cysts.
  Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 2013 Jahangiri A, Potts M, Kunwar S, Blevins L, El-Sayed IH, Aghi MK
• Use of conivaptan for management of hyponatremia following surgery for Cushing's disease.
  Clinical neurology and neurosurgery 2013 Breshears JD, Jiang B, Rowland NC, Kunwar S, Blevins LS
• Factors predicting postoperative hyponatremia and efficacy of hyponatremia management strategies after more than 1000 pituitary operations.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2013 Jahangiri A, Wagner J, Tran MT, Miller LM, Tom MW, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Socioeconomic factors associated with pituitary apoplexy.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2013 Jahangiri A, Clark AJ, Han SJ, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK
• A comprehensive long-term retrospective analysis of silent corticotrophic adenomas vs hormone-negative adenomas.
  Neurosurgery 2013 Jahangiri A, Wagner JR, Pekmezci M, Hiniker A, Chang EF, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Clinical management of pituitary carcinomas.
  Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2012 Oh MC, Tihan T, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Medical versus surgical management of prolactinomas.
  Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2012 Oh MC, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK
• Neurosurgery Clinics of North America. Management of pituitary tumors. Preface.
  Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2012 Aghi MK, Blevins LS
• Gamma knife radiosurgery for acromegaly.
  International journal of endocrinology 2012 Rolston JD, Blevins LS
• Suprasellar Rathke cleft cysts: clinical presentation and treatment outcomes.
  Neurosurgery 2011 Potts MB, Jahangiri A, Lamborn KR, Blevins LS, Kunwar S, Aghi MK
• Excess mortality for patients with residual disease following resection of pituitary adenomas.
  Pituitary 2011 Sughrue ME, Chang EF, Gabriel RA, Aghi MK, Blevins LS
• Use of intravenous conivaptan in neurosurgical patients with hyponatremia from syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion.
  Neurosurgery 2011 Potts MB, DeGiacomo AF, Deragopian L, Blevins LS
• Factors associated with delay to pituitary adenoma diagnosis in patients with visual loss.
  Journal of neurosurgery 2011 Jahangiri A, Lamborn KR, Blevins L, Kunwar S, Aghi MK
• Rathke cleft cysts in pediatric patients: presentation, surgical management, and postoperative outcomes.
  Neurosurgical focus 2011 Jahangiri A, Molinaro AM, Tarapore PE, Blevins L, Auguste KI, Gupta N, Kunwar S, Aghi MK
• Microscopic endonasal transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy in the pediatric population.
  Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics 2011 Tarapore PE, Sughrue ME, Blevins L, Auguste KI, Gupta N, Kunwar S
• Infected Rathke cleft cysts: distinguishing factors and factors predicting recurrence.
  Neurosurgery 2010 Tate MC, Jahangiri A, Blevins L, Kunwar S, Aghi MK
• Long term outcome following repeat transsphenoidal surgery for recurrent endocrine-inactive pituitary adenomas.
  Pituitary 2010 Chang EF, Sughrue ME, Zada G, Wilson CB, Blevins LS, Kunwar S
• Utility of the immediate postoperative cortisol concentrations in patients with Cushing's disease.
  Neurosurgery 2010 Sughrue ME, Shah JK, Devin JK, Kunwar S, Blevins LS
• Extreme correction of hyponatremia in a patient treated with intravenous conivaptan.
  Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 2010 Sughrue ME, McDermott M, Blevins LS
• Recent advances in the treatment of acromegaly.
  Current opinion in endocrinology, diabetes, and obesity 2009 Aghi M, Blevins LS
• An approach to the management of patients with residual Cushing's disease.
  Journal of neuro-oncology 2009 Blevins LS, Sanai N, Kunwar S, Devin JK
• Diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas of hypercortisolemia during pregnancy: a case report.
  The American surgeon 2009 Terhune KP, Jagasia S, Blevins LS, Phay JE
• Pre-operative dopamine agonist therapy improves post-operative tumor control following prolactinoma resection.
  Pituitary 2009 Sughrue ME, Chang EF, Tyrell JB, Kunwar S, Wilson CB, Blevins LS
• Prevalence of valvular heart disease in a cohort of patients taking cabergoline for management of hyperprolactinemia.
  Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2008 Devin JK, Lakhani VT, Byrd BF, Blevins LS
• Low-dose growth hormone administration mobilizes endothelial progenitor cells in healthy adults.
  Growth hormone & IGF research : official journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society 2007 Devin JK, Vaughan DE, Blevins LS, Chen Q, Covington J, Verity DK, Young PP
• Malignant pheochromocytoma of the organ of Zuckerkandl requiring aortic and vena caval reconstruction.
  Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2007 Dossett LA, Rudzinski ER, Blevins LS, Chambers EP
• Markedly impaired fibrinolytic balance contributes to cardiovascular risk in adults with growth hormone deficiency.
  The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2007 Devin JK, Blevins LS, Verity DK, Chen Q, Bloodworth JR, Covington J, Vaughan DE
• Disorders of water metabolism following transsphenoidal pituitary surgery: a single institution's experience.
  Pituitary 2006 Adams JR, Blevins LS, Allen GS, Verity DK, Devin JK
• Visual vignette. Hypopituitarism with central diabetes insipidus attributable to traumatic brain injury.
  Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2006 Devin JK, Blevins LS
• The efficacy of linear accelerator radiosurgery in the management of patients with Cushing's disease.
  Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery 2005 Devin JK, Allen GS, Cmelak AJ, Duggan DM, Blevins LS
• Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone hypersecretion due to a primary pulmonary paraganglioma.
  Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2004 Dahir KM, Gonzalez A, Revelo MP, Ahmed SR, Roberts JR, Blevins LS
• Treatment of adult patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency: a clinical practice audit.
  Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2003 Li HY, Dahir KM, Blevins LS
• Pitfalls to avoid while interpreting thyroid function tests: five illustrative cases.
  Southern medical journal 2002 Fowler MJ, Pannone AF, Blevins LS
• Hypertension in an adolescent boy.
  The American journal of the medical sciences 2002 Shome B, Nadeau J, Blevins LS
• Effect of minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy on efficacy, length of stay, and costs in the management of primary hyperparathyroidism.
  Annals of surgery 2000 Goldstein RE, Blevins L, Delbeke D, Martin WH
• Synergistic effect of adrenal steroids and angiotensin II on plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 production.
  The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2000 Brown NJ, Kim KS, Chen YQ, Blevins LS, Nadeau JH, Meranze SG, Vaughan DE
• Endoscopic retroperitoneal resection of a para-aortic paraganglioma: report of a case and description of a technique.
  Surgery 1999 Clements RH, Holzman MD, Blevins LS, Molpus K, Goldstein RE
• Pancreatic polypeptide hypersecretion associated with a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the gallbladder.
  The American journal of the medical sciences 1999 Marrano NN, Blevins LS, Gal AA, McGuire WP
• Thromboembolic complications after inferior petrosal sinus sampling in patients with cushing's syndrome.
  Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 1998 Blevins LS, Clark RV, Owens DS
• Aggressive pituitary tumors.
  Oncology (Williston Park, N.Y.) 1998 Blevins LS, Verity DK, Allen G
• The low dose (1-microg) adrenocorticotropin stimulation test in the evaluation of patients with suspected central adrenal insufficiency.
  The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1998 Thaler LM, Blevins LS
• Outcomes of therapy for Cushing's disease due to adrenocorticotropin-secreting pituitary macroadenomas.
  The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1998 Blevins LS, Christy JH, Khajavi M, Tindall GT
• Pituitary adenomas: screening for G alpha q mutations.
  The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1997 Oyesiku NM, Evans CO, Brown MR, Blevins LS, Tindall GT, Parks JS
• Diagnosis & management of pituitary tumors.
  Comprehensive therapy 1997 Weinstein J, Isaacs S, Shore D, Blevins LS
• Assessment of adrenal function in women heterozygous for adrenoleukodystrophy.
  The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1997 el-Deiry SS, Naidu S, Blevins LS, Ladenson PW
• Case report: reversible gastroparesis in patients with hypopituitary disease.
  The American journal of the medical sciences 1996 Krishna AY, Blevins LS
• Insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus in a black woman with ataxia-telangiectasia.
  Southern medical journal 1996 Blevins LS, Gebhart SS
• Serum cortisol is not an accurate predictor of the integrity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis.
  Clinical endocrinology 1995 Blevins LS
• Naloxone-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in suspected central adrenal insufficiency.
  The American journal of the medical sciences 1994 Blevins LS, Dobs AS, Wand GS
• Elevated plasma adrenocorticotropin concentration as evidence of limited adrenocortical reserve in patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy.
  The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1994 Blevins LS, Shankroff J, Moser HW, Ladenson PW
• The effects of mild ethanol intoxication on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in nonalcoholic men.
  The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1993 Waltman C, Blevins LS, Boyd G, Wand GS
• Case report: acromegaly and Cushing's disease in a patient with synchronous pituitary adenomas.
  The American journal of the medical sciences 1992 Blevins LS, Hall GS, Madoff DH, Laws ER, Wand GS
• Primary aldosteronism: an endocrine perspective.
  Radiology 1992 Blevins LS, Wand GS