Lewis Blevins, MD

Professor

Dr. Lewis Blevins is an endocrinologist specializing in evaluating and managing pituitary and hypothalamus disorders, including acromegaly, prolactinoma and other pituitary tumors, diabetes insipidus, hypopituitarism and growth hormone deficiencies. As medical director of the California Center for Pituitary Disorders at UCSF Medical Center, he guides a team providing comprehensive, state-of-the-art care. 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.

Publications

  1. Yuen KCJ, Blevins LS, Clemmons DR, Faurby M, Hoffman AR, Kelepouris N, Kerr JM, Tarp JM, Fleseriu M. Medical Costs Associated with High/Moderate/Low Likelihood of Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency: A Healthcare Claims Database Analysis. Ophthalmic genetics 2024. PMID: 38476578


  2. Osorio RC, Haddad AF, Hart DM, Goldrich N, Badani A, Kabir AS, Juncker R, Oh JY, Carrete L, Peeran Z, Chalif EJ, Zheng AC, Braunstein S, Theodosopoulos PV, El-Sayed IH, Gurrola J, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK. Socioeconomic differences between medically and surgically treated prolactinomas: a retrospective review of 598 patients. Journal of neurosurgery 2023. PMID: 37877974


  3. Osorio RC, Pereira MP, Oh T, Joshi RS, Haddad AF, Pereira KM, Donohue KC, Peeran Z, Carson W, Badani A, Wang EJ, Sudhir S, Chandra A, Jain S, Beniwal A, Gurrola J, El-Sayed IH, Blevins LS, Theodosopoulos PV, Kunwar S, Aghi MK. Correlation between tumor volume and serum prolactin and its effect on surgical outcomes in a cohort of 219 prolactinoma patients. Journal of neurosurgery 2022. PMID: 36242577


  4. Yuen KCJ, Birkegard AC, Blevins LS, Clemmons DR, Hoffman AR, Kelepouris N, Kerr JM, Tarp JM, Fleseriu M. Development of a Novel Algorithm to Identify People with High Likelihood of Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency in a US Healthcare Claims Database. International journal of endocrinology 2022. PMID: 35761982


  5. Joshi RS, Pereira MP, Osorio RC, Oh T, Haddad AF, Pereira KM, Donohue KC, Peeran Z, Sudhir S, Jain S, Beniwal A, Chandra A, Han SJ, Rolston JD, Theodosopoulos PV, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK. Identifying risk factors for postoperative diabetes insipidus in more than 2500 patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery: a single-institution experience. 2022. PMID: 35090129


  6. 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. Socioeconomic predictors of case presentations and outcomes in 225 nonfunctional pituitary adenoma resections. 2021. PMID: 34598141


  7. 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, Jørgensen JOL, Zambon A, Chiodini I. When to suspect hidden hypercortisolism in type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis. 2021. PMID: 34325041


  8. Young JS, Oh T, Arora T, Blevins LS, Aghi MK, El-Sayed IH, Kunwar S, Theodosopoulos PV. Letter: COVID Conundrum: Postoperative COVID-19 Infections Following Endonasal Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery. 2021. PMID: 33693893


  9. 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. Plurihormonal PIT-1-Positive Pituitary Adenomas: A Systematic Review and Single-Center Series. 2021. PMID: 33862299


  10. 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. Clinical characteristics and outcomes in elderly patients undergoing transsphenoidal surgery for nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma. 2020. PMID: 33002877


  11. Yuen KCJ, Blevins LS, Findling JW. Important Management Considerations In Patients With Pituitary Disorders During The Time Of The Covid-19 Pandemic. 2020. PMID: 33471683


  12. 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, Blevins LS, Aghi MK. 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. PMID: 32480370


  13. Aghi MK, Blevins LS. Introduction to Pituitary Adenomas. Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2019. PMID: 31471060


  14. Faltermeier CM, Magill ST, Blevins LS, Aghi MK. Molecular Biology of Pituitary Adenomas. Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2019. PMID: 31471046


  15. Rick J, Jahangiri A, Flanigan PM, Chandra A, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Growth hormone and prolactin-staining tumors causing acromegaly: a retrospective review of clinical presentations and surgical outcomes. Journal of neurosurgery 2018. PMID: 30215558


  16. Rutkowski MJ, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Surgical intervention for pituitary apoplexy: an analysis of functional outcomes. Journal of neurosurgery 2017. PMID: 28946177


  17. Rutkowski MJ, Alward RM, Chen R, Wagner J, Jahangiri A, Southwell DG, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Lee H, Aghi MK. Atypical pituitary adenoma: a clinicopathologic case series. Journal of neurosurgery 2017. PMID: 28598278


  18. Zygourakis CC, Imber BS, Chen R, Han SJ, Blevins L, Molinaro A, Kahn JG, Aghi MK. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Surgical versus Medical Treatment of Prolactinomas. Journal of neurological surgery. Part B, Skull base 2016. PMID: 28321375


  19. Safaee MM, Blevins L, Liverman CS, Theodosopoulos PV. Abscess Formation in a Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenoma. World neurosurgery 2016. PMID: 26944883


  20. Imber BS, Lee HS, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK. Hypophysitis: a single-center case series. Pituitary 2015. PMID: 25534888


  21. Jahangiri A, Wagner JR, Han SW, Tran MT, Miller LM, Chen R, Tom MW, Ostling LR, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Improved versus worsened endocrine function after transsphenoidal surgery for nonfunctional pituitary adenomas: rate, time course, and radiological analysis. Journal of neurosurgery 2015. PMID: 26252454


  22. Rutkowski MJ, Breshears JD, Kunwar S, Aghi MK, Blevins LS. Approach to the postoperative patient with Cushing's disease. Pituitary 2015. PMID: 25702104


  23. Blevins LS. The art of medicine. Neurosurgery 2015. PMID: 25706375


  24. Jahangiri A, Wagner JR, Chin AT, Han SW, Tran MT, Miller LM, Tom MW, Chen R, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Incidence of headache as a presenting complaint in over 1000 patients with sellar lesions and factors predicting postoperative improvement. Clinical neurology and neurosurgery 2015. PMID: 25746316


  25. Cheng JS, Salinas R, Molinaro A, Chang EF, 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. PMID: 25481269


  26. Jahangiri A, Wagner J, Han SW, Tran MT, Miller LM, Tom MW, Ostling LR, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Rate and time course of improvement in endocrine function after more than 1000 pituitary operations. Neurosurgery 2014. PMID: 25032545


  27. Jahangiri A, Wagner J, Han SW, Zygourakis CC, Han SJ, Tran MT, Miller LM, Tom MW, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK. Morbidity of repeat transsphenoidal surgery assessed in more than 1000 operations. Journal of neurosurgery 2014. PMID: 24834943


  28. Potts MB, Shah JK, Molinaro AM, Blevins LS, Tyrrell JB, Kunwar S, Dowd CF, Hetts SW, 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. PMID: 24398617


  29. Jahangiri A, Potts M, Kunwar S, Blevins L, El-Sayed IH, 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. PMID: 24308953


  30. Breshears JD, Jiang B, Rowland NC, Kunwar S, Blevins LS. Use of conivaptan for management of hyponatremia following surgery for Cushing's disease. Clinical neurology and neurosurgery 2013. PMID: 24041963


  31. Jahangiri A, Wagner J, Tran MT, Miller LM, Tom MW, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Factors predicting postoperative hyponatremia and efficacy of hyponatremia management strategies after more than 1000 pituitary operations. Journal of neurosurgery 2013. PMID: 23971964


  32. Jahangiri A, Clark AJ, Han SJ, Kunwar S, Blevins LS, Aghi MK. Socioeconomic factors associated with pituitary apoplexy. Journal of neurosurgery 2013. PMID: 23889139


  33. Jahangiri A, Wagner JR, Pekmezci M, Hiniker A, Chang EF, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. A comprehensive long-term retrospective analysis of silent corticotrophic adenomas vs hormone-negative adenomas. Neurosurgery 2013. PMID: 23685641


  34. Oh MC, Tihan T, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Clinical management of pituitary carcinomas. Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2012. PMID: 23040746


  35. Oh MC, Kunwar S, Blevins L, Aghi MK. Medical versus surgical management of prolactinomas. Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2012. PMID: 23040751


  36. Aghi MK, Blevins LS. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America. Management of pituitary tumors. Preface. Neurosurgery clinics of North America 2012. PMID: 23040753


  37. Rolston JD, Blevins LS. Gamma knife radiosurgery for acromegaly. International journal of endocrinology 2012. PMID: 22518132


  38. Potts MB, Jahangiri A, Lamborn KR, Blevins LS, Kunwar S, Aghi MK. Suprasellar Rathke cleft cysts: clinical presentation and treatment outcomes. Neurosurgery 2011. PMID: 21673610


  39. Sughrue ME, Chang EF, Gabriel RA, Aghi MK, Blevins LS. Excess mortality for patients with residual disease following resection of pituitary adenomas. Pituitary 2011. PMID: 21476061


  40. Potts MB, DeGiacomo AF, Deragopian L, Blevins LS. Use of intravenous conivaptan in neurosurgical patients with hyponatremia from syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. Neurosurgery 2011. PMID: 21792136


  41. Jahangiri A, Lamborn KR, Blevins L, Kunwar S, Aghi MK. Factors associated with delay to pituitary adenoma diagnosis in patients with visual loss. Journal of neurosurgery 2011. PMID: 21740118


  42. Jahangiri A, Molinaro AM, Tarapore PE, Blevins L, Auguste KI, Gupta N, Kunwar S, Aghi MK. Rathke cleft cysts in pediatric patients: presentation, surgical management, and postoperative outcomes. Neurosurgical focus 2011. PMID: 21721868


  43. Tarapore PE, Sughrue ME, Blevins L, Auguste KI, Gupta N, Kunwar S. Microscopic endonasal transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy in the pediatric population. Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics 2011. PMID: 21529190


  44. Tate MC, Jahangiri A, Blevins L, Kunwar S, Aghi MK. Infected Rathke cleft cysts: distinguishing factors and factors predicting recurrence. Neurosurgery 2010. PMID: 20651624


  45. Chang EF, Sughrue ME, Zada G, Wilson CB, Blevins LS, Kunwar S. Long term outcome following repeat transsphenoidal surgery for recurrent endocrine-inactive pituitary adenomas. Pituitary 2010. PMID: 20217484


  46. Sughrue ME, Shah JK, Devin JK, Kunwar S, Blevins LS. Utility of the immediate postoperative cortisol concentrations in patients with Cushing's disease. Neurosurgery 2010. PMID: 20651632


  47. Sughrue ME, McDermott M, 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. PMID: 20594854


  48. Aghi M, Blevins LS. Recent advances in the treatment of acromegaly. Current opinion in endocrinology, diabetes, and obesity 2009. PMID: 19491667


  49. Blevins LS, Sanai N, Kunwar S, Devin JK. An approach to the management of patients with residual Cushing's disease. Journal of neuro-oncology 2009. PMID: 19381447


  50. Terhune KP, Jagasia S, Blevins LS, Phay JE. Diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas of hypercortisolemia during pregnancy: a case report. The American surgeon 2009. PMID: 19350859


  51. Sughrue ME, Chang EF, Tyrell JB, Kunwar S, Wilson CB, Blevins LS. Pre-operative dopamine agonist therapy improves post-operative tumor control following prolactinoma resection. Pituitary 2009. PMID: 18651225


  52. Devin JK, Lakhani VT, Byrd BF, 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. PMID: 18996784


  53. Devin JK, Vaughan DE, Blevins LS, Chen Q, Covington J, Verity DK, Young PP. 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. PMID: 18166495


  54. Dossett LA, Rudzinski ER, Blevins LS, Chambers EP. 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. PMID: 17872352


  55. Devin JK, Blevins LS, Verity DK, Chen Q, Bloodworth JR, Covington J, Vaughan DE. Markedly impaired fibrinolytic balance contributes to cardiovascular risk in adults with growth hormone deficiency. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2007. PMID: 17579195


  56. Adams JR, Blevins LS, Allen GS, Verity DK, Devin JK. Disorders of water metabolism following transsphenoidal pituitary surgery: a single institution's experience. Pituitary 2006. PMID: 16832585


  57. Devin JK, Blevins LS. 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. PMID: 16524870


  58. Devin JK, Allen GS, Cmelak AJ, Duggan DM, Blevins LS. The efficacy of linear accelerator radiosurgery in the management of patients with Cushing's disease. Stereotactic and functional neurosurgery 2005. PMID: 15665560


  59. Dahir KM, Gonzalez A, Revelo MP, Ahmed SR, Roberts JR, 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. PMID: 15760790


  60. Li HY, Dahir KM, 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. PMID: 14583416


  61. Fan X, Olson SJ, Blevins LS, Allen GS, Johnson MD. Immunohistochemical localization of carboxypeptidases D, E, and Z in pituitary adenomas and normal human pituitary. The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society 2002. PMID: 12417617


  62. Fowler MJ, Pannone AF, Blevins LS. Pitfalls to avoid while interpreting thyroid function tests: five illustrative cases. Southern medical journal 2002. PMID: 12005005


  63. Shome B, Nadeau J, Blevins LS. Hypertension in an adolescent boy. The American journal of the medical sciences 2002. PMID: 12004828


  64. Schefter JK, Allen G, Cmelak AJ, Johnson M, Toms S, Duggan D, Blevins LS. The utility of external beam radiation and intracystic 32P radiation in the treatment of craniopharyngiomas. Journal of neuro-oncology 2002. PMID: 11949829


  65. Jagasia SM, Blevins LS. Visual vignette: acanthosis nigricans. Endocrine practice : official journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists 2001. PMID: 11592266


  66. Goldstein RE, Blevins L, Delbeke D, Martin WH. Effect of minimally invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy on efficacy, length of stay, and costs in the management of primary hyperparathyroidism. Annals of surgery 2000. PMID: 10767795


  67. Brown NJ, Kim KS, Chen YQ, Blevins LS, Nadeau JH, Meranze SG, Vaughan DE. Synergistic effect of adrenal steroids and angiotensin II on plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 production. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 2000. PMID: 10634408


  68. Clements RH, Holzman MD, Blevins LS, Molpus K, Goldstein RE. Endoscopic retroperitoneal resection of a para-aortic paraganglioma: report of a case and description of a technique. Surgery 1999. PMID: 10568201


  69. Marrano NN, Blevins LS, Gal AA, McGuire WP. Pancreatic polypeptide hypersecretion associated with a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the gallbladder. The American journal of the medical sciences 1999. PMID: 9892273


  70. Blevins LS, Clark RV, Owens DS. 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. PMID: 15251709


  71. Blevins LS, Verity DK, Allen G. Aggressive pituitary tumors. Oncology (Williston Park, N.Y.) 1998. PMID: 9778677


  72. Thaler LM, Blevins LS. 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. PMID: 9709938


  73. Blevins LS, Christy JH, Khajavi M, Tindall GT. Outcomes of therapy for Cushing's disease due to adrenocorticotropin-secreting pituitary macroadenomas. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1998. PMID: 9435417


  74. Oyesiku NM, Evans CO, Brown MR, Blevins LS, Tindall GT, Parks JS. Pituitary adenomas: screening for G alpha q mutations. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1997. PMID: 9398737


  75. Weinstein J, Isaacs S, Shore D, Blevins LS. Diagnosis & management of pituitary tumors. Comprehensive therapy 1997. PMID: 9285160


  76. el-Deiry SS, Naidu S, Blevins LS, Ladenson PW. Assessment of adrenal function in women heterozygous for adrenoleukodystrophy. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1997. PMID: 9062496


  77. Krishna AY, Blevins LS. Case report: reversible gastroparesis in patients with hypopituitary disease. The American journal of the medical sciences 1996. PMID: 8686731


  78. Blevins LS, Gebhart SS. Insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus in a black woman with ataxia-telangiectasia. Southern medical journal 1996. PMID: 8638204


  79. Blevins LS. Serum cortisol is not an accurate predictor of the integrity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis. Clinical endocrinology 1995. PMID: 7889625


  80. Blevins LS, Dobs AS, Wand GS. Naloxone-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in suspected central adrenal insufficiency. The American journal of the medical sciences 1994. PMID: 8074133


  81. Blevins LS, Shankroff J, Moser HW, Ladenson PW. Elevated plasma adrenocorticotropin concentration as evidence of limited adrenocortical reserve in patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1994. PMID: 8106609


  82. Waltman C, Blevins LS, Boyd G, Wand GS. The effects of mild ethanol intoxication on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in nonalcoholic men. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism 1993. PMID: 8393888


  83. Blevins LS, Hall GS, Madoff DH, Laws ER, Wand GS. Case report: acromegaly and Cushing's disease in a patient with synchronous pituitary adenomas. The American journal of the medical sciences 1992. PMID: 1442869


  84. Blevins LS, Wand GS. Primary aldosteronism: an endocrine perspective. Radiology 1992. PMID: 1509036