⚗️ Endocrine🟢 BasicAdrenal Disorders

Cushing's Syndrome

The condition caused by too much of the steroid hormone cortisol, whether from medicines or from the body's own overproduction.

Key points

Cushing's syndrome is the effect of too much cortisol, most commonly from taking steroid medicines for a long time.
When the body overproduces it, the cause may be a pituitary tumour making ACTH (Cushing's disease) or a tumour of the adrenal gland.
Typical features are a rounded moon face, a fatty hump between the shoulders, a large trunk with thin limbs, and purple stretch marks.
It also causes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, thin skin that bruises easily, weak bones and low mood.
Tests measure cortisol and whether it can be suppressed, to confirm the excess and to find its source.

Memory trick

Cushing's is too much cortisol (usually steroid medicines; or pituitary ACTH = Cushing's disease, or an adrenal tumour): moon face, buffalo hump, central obesity with thin limbs, purple striae; high blood pressure and sugar, thin bruising skin, weak bones.

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⚗️ Endocrine🟢 BasicAdrenal Disorders

Cushing's Syndrome

The condition caused by too much of the steroid hormone cortisol, whether from medicines or from the body's own overproduction.

Key points

Cushing's syndrome is the effect of too much cortisol, most commonly from taking steroid medicines for a long time.
When the body overproduces it, the cause may be a pituitary tumour making ACTH (Cushing's disease) or a tumour of the adrenal gland.
Typical features are a rounded moon face, a fatty hump between the shoulders, a large trunk with thin limbs, and purple stretch marks.
It also causes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, thin skin that bruises easily, weak bones and low mood.
Tests measure cortisol and whether it can be suppressed, to confirm the excess and to find its source.

Memory trick

All of General Medicine More Endocrine