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Cushing's Syndrome Synonym(s): Reviewed 07-01-2001 Get Web page suited for printing Email this to a friend or colleague Studies with patients Table of Contents (click to jump to sections) What is Cushing's Syndrome?Is there any treatment? What is the prognosis? What research is being done? Organizations What is Cushing's Syndrome? Cushing's syndrome, also called hypercortisolism, is a rare endocrine disorder characterized by a variety of symptoms and physical abnormalities. It may be caused by either prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol or by the overproduction of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a natural substance produced by the adrenal gland. It can also be produced synthetically. Common features of Cushing's syndrome include upper body obesity, severe fatigue and muscle weakness, high blood pressure, backache, elevated blood sugar, easy bruising, and bluish-red stretch marks on the skin. In women, there may be increased growth of facial and body hair, and menstrual periods may become irregular or stop completely. Exposure to too much cortisol can occur for different reasons such as long-term use of glucocorticoid hormones to treat inflammatory illnesses; pituitary adenomas (benign tumors of the pituitary glands) which secrete increased amounts of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH); ectopic ACTH syndrome (a condition in which ACTH is produced by various types of potentially malignant tumors that occur in different parts of the body); and adrenal tumors (tumors of the adrenal glands). Is there any treatment? What is the prognosis? What research is being done? Cushing's Support and Research Foundation
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI)
National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development (NICHD)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
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