Cushing’s Syndrome (CS):

What is Cushing’s Syndrome ?

Cushing’s syndrome is a rare disorder caused by prolonged exposure to excess glucocorticoids. There are two types of Cushing syndrome: exogenous (caused by factors outside the body) and endogenous (caused by factors within the body). The symptoms for both are the same.^{1 2}

How Common is Cushing’s Syndrome?

Endogenous Cushing’s syndrome is rare, with an incidence of 0.7–2.4 per million population per year.²

Cushing Syndrom

What are the signs ?

Each person may have symptoms in a different way. These are the most common signs and symptoms:

Upper body obesity with thin arms and legs

Round face

Increased fat around neck or a fatty hump between the shoulders

Reddened, thin, fragile skin that is slow to heal

Reddish-blue stretch marks on the underarms, belly, thighs, buttocks, arms, and breasts

Bone and muscle weakness

Severe tiredness (fatigue)

High blood pressure

High blood sugar

Irritability and anxiety or depression

Extra facial and body hair growth in women

Irregular or stopped menstrual cycles in women

Reduced sex drive and fertility in men

^1,2

Cushing Syndrom

What are the signs ?

Each person may have symptoms in a different way. These are the most common signs and symptoms:

Upper body obesity with thin arms and legs

Round face

Increased fat around neck or a fatty hump between the shoulders

Reddened, thin, fragile skin that is slow to heal

Reddish-blue stretch marks on the underarms, belly, thighs, buttocks, arms, and breasts

Bone and muscle weakness

Severe tiredness (fatigue)

High blood pressure

High blood sugar

Irritability and anxiety or depression

Extra facial and body hair growth in women

Irregular or stopped menstrual cycles in women

Reduced sex drive and fertility in men

Cushing Syndrom

What are the signs ?

Clinical presentation can be highly variable, and establishing the diagnosis can often be difficult. Most common signs and symptoms:

Weight gain; rounded face (moon face); fat pads around neck (buffalo hump)

Skin (e.g. violaceous striae)

Musculoskeletal (e.g. muscle weakness)

Metabolic (e.g. hypertension)

Neuropsychiatric (e.g. depression)

Gonads (e.g. menstrual irregularity)

Severe tiredness (fatigue)

High blood pressure

High blood sugar

Irritability and anxiety or depression

Extra facial and body hair growth in women

Irregular or stopped menstrual cycles in women

Reduced sex drive and fertility in men

1 2

Cushing Syndrom

What are the signs ?

Each person may have symptoms in a different way. These are the most common signs and symptoms:

Upper body obesity with thin arms and legs

Round face

Increased fat around neck or a fatty hump between the shoulders

Reddened, thin, fragile skin that is slow to heal

Reddish-blue stretch marks on the underarms, belly, thighs, buttocks, arms, and breasts

Bone and muscle weakness

Severe tiredness (fatigue)

High blood pressure

High blood sugar

Irritability and anxiety or depression

Extra facial and body hair growth in women

Irregular or stopped menstrual cycles in women

Reduced sex drive and fertility in men

Cushing Syndrom

What are the signs ?

Each person may have symptoms in a different way. These are the most common signs and symptoms:

Upper body obesity with thin arms and legs

Round face

Increased fat around neck or a fatty hump between the shoulders

Reddened, thin, fragile skin that is slow to heal

Reddish-blue stretch marks on the underarms, belly, thighs, buttocks, arms, and breasts

Bone and muscle weakness

Severe tiredness (fatigue)

High blood pressure

High blood sugar

Irritability and anxiety or depression

Extra facial and body hair growth in women

Irregular or stopped menstrual cycles in women

Reduced sex drive and fertility in men

What Causes Cushing’s Syndrome ?

Exogenous Cushing Syndrome: Administration of supraphysiologic doses of glucocorticoids is the most common cause of Cushing’s syndrome.
Endogenous Cushing Syndrome: This type of Cushing syndrome is most often caused by hormone-secreting tumors of the adrenal glands (usually non-cancerous) or the pituitary (ACTH production), a gland located at the base of the brain.
80-85 % ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome: 75%–80% due to pituitary adenoma; Cushing’s disease, 15%–20% due to ACTH production from nonpituitary tumors.
15-20% ACTH-independent Cushing’s syndrome in adults (90% unilateral adrenal tumors.)^{1 2}

References

1. https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/cushings-syndrome-and-cushing-disease

2. Sharma ST et al. Cushing’s syndrome: epidemiology and developments in disease management. Clin Epidemiol. 2015 Apr 17;7:281-93.