Cushing's Syndrome  

Cushing's Syndrome General Information

The high levels or cortisol found in the blood causes an endocrine dysfunction called Cushing's Syndrome. The first to discover this disorder was an American endocrinologist, surgeon and physician, Harvey Cushing, in 1932. Cushing's Syndrome is known to be very common in horses and dogs. What characterizes this disease is the unusual fat deposition. The syndrome is also known as hyperadrenocorticism or hypercortisolism. There are many causes responsible for the development of this disorder: neoplasia (primary adrenal hyperplasia), the use of oral steroids for a prolonged period of time (iatrogenic), Cushing's disease (primary pituitary adenoma) and ectopic production of ACTH from a small cell of the lung cancer. In a normal, healthy organism, where the endocrine system works naturally, once the ACTH is released by the pituitary gland, the cortisol is also released from the adrenal gland (that is found above the kidneys), as a response to the secretion of the first syndrome. Cushing's Syndrome is different from Cushing’s disease. The differences between these two medical conditions consist in what causes the elevated cortisol levels.  All patients must be aware of the fact that while the Cushing Disease refers to a tumor inside the pituitary gland that favors the abnormal release of an excessive quantity of cortisol (this occurs at the same time with the large quantities of ACTH that are released), when we talk about the syndrome, the levels of ACTH have no negative response to the feedback from the increased levels of cortisol. Very rare are the cases when the body is responsible with producing too much cortisol.

Cushing's Syndrome Symptoms

Cushing's Syndrome Treatment

If you are taking a treatment based on corticosteroids to treat inflammatory bowel disorders, arthritis or asthma for example and you present any of the symptoms we have described above, you should go to a doctor for an emergency evaluation. Further more, even if you are not taking this type of drugs, as soon as you observe that you develop the symptoms specific for Cushing's Syndrome that had been listed here, you should call your health care provider as soon as you can. It is very important to discover this disorder on time because if it aggravates it can lead to the death of the individual. If he or she believes you have the syndrome, then you will be sent to a specialist in endocrine dysfunctions, in this case an endocrinologist. This one may know what kind of tests you need to do in order to diagnose your medical condition without any doubts (Cushing's Syndrome). First, your count of white blood cells will be checked to see if it matches the normal levels. Then, your potassium levels should be checked, as patients who suffer from this medical condition might have low potassium levels. A high blood sugar level is a condition that can also be triggered by this medical issue. The high levels of cortisol are determined with the help of some laboratory tests, for example tests of the blood, saliva and urine and dexamethasone suppression test. Some additional tests may be needed in order to determine the exact cause of the disorder, including an abdominal cranial MRI, cranial CT scan and an ACTH test. It can be really difficult to diagnose Cushing's Syndrome because it may be easily mistaken with other conditions that have similar manifestations.

These tests must be done quickly because the earlier the doctor establishes the exact diagnose and proceeds with the adequate therapy, the better chances you have to fully recover. The chances of developing complications, such as serious infections, high pressure of the blood, fractures caused by the osteoporosis, diabetes, kidneys stones or enlargement of pituitary tumor. Once the doctor can proceed with the treatment, his or her main aim is to return the body’s production of cortisol to normal. But any treatment depends mostly on what caused Cushing's Syndrome. For example, if the cause is the use of a treatment with steroids, then the dosage must be slowly decreased under the supervision of a doctor and only if the underlying disease permits this. When an adrenal tumor is responsible with the developing of the disease, then surgery is the right method. But if this is not efficient, then the excessive release of cortisol may be blocked by certain medicines. In case Cushing's Syndrome is caused by a tumor that produces and releases ACTH or by a tumor of the pituitary gland, the doctor will perform a surgery to remove the respective tumor. Usually, after the removal of the pituitary gland, radiation therapy is a viable option.