Cushing's syndrome

Cushing's syndrome (also called hyperadrenocorticism or hypercorticism) is a hormone (endocrine) disorder caused by high levels of cortisol (hypercortisolism) in the blood. This can be caused by taking glucocorticoid drugs, or by tumors that produce cortisol or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Cushing's disease refers to one specific cause, a non-cancerous tumor (adenoma) in the pituitary gland that produces large amounts of ACTH, which in tur... more

Cushing's syndrome (also called hyperadrenocorticism or hypercorticism) is a hormone (endocrine) disorder caused by high levels of cortisol (hypercortisolism) in the blood. This can be caused by taking glucocorticoid drugs, or by tumors that produce cortisol or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Cushing's disease refers to one specific cause, a non-cancerous tumor (adenoma) in the pituitary gland that produces large amounts of ACTH, which in turn elevates cortisol. It can usually be cured by surgery. Cushing's syndrome is not confined to humans and is also a relatively common condition in domestic dogs and horses. It was described by American Dr. Harvey Cushing in 1932. There are several possible causes of Cushing's syndrome. Hormones that come from outside the body are called exogenous; hormones that come from within the body are called endogenous. The most common is exogenous administration of glucocorticoids prescribed by physicians to treat other diseases (called iatrogenic... less