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Cushing Syndrome
Cushing Syndrome
(Hypercortisolism)
Summary
Cushing syndrome, or hypercortisolism, is an endocrine disorder that is most often
caused iatrogenically by the exogenous administration of glucocorticoids. Less commonly,
Cushing syndrome can result from endogenous overproduction of cortisol. Primary
hypercortisolism is the result of autonomous overproduction of cortisol by the adrenal
gland (e.g., adrenal adenoma, adrenal carcinoma). Secondary hypercortisolism, on the other hand,
is the result of increased production of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), either by pituitary
microadenomas (Cushing disease) or by ectopic, paraneoplastic foci (e.g., small cell lung cancer).
Typical clinical features include central obesity, thin, easily bruisable skin,
abdominal striae, secondary hypertension, hyperglycemia, and proximal muscle weakness. Since
serum cortisol levels vary diurnally, 24-hour urine cortisol measurement, midnight
saliva cortisol levels, and/or dexamethasone suppression test are used to diagnose
hypercortisolism. Serum ACTH levels and CRH stimulation test are used to identify the cause of
hypercortisolism, imaging is then employed to localize the tumor. Treatment of endogenous
hypercortisolism primarily involves surgical removal of the source of
excessive cortisol (e.g., adrenalectomy) or ACTH (e.g., transsphenoidal hypophysectomy). If
surgery is contraindicated, drugs that suppress cortisol synthesis (e.g., metyrapone) may be used
instead.
Etiology
While adrenal adenomas occur more commonly among adults, adrenal carcinomas occur more
commonly among children.
Most pituitary adenomas that produce ACTH are microadenomas (< 10 mm in size). Therefore,
clinical features associated with macroadenomas (e.g., hypopituitarism, visual field defects) are
usually absent.
Clinical features
• Skin [2]
o Hirsutism
o Acne
of melanin), especially in areas that are not normally exposed to the sun (e.g., palm creases, oral cavity)
o Muscle atrophy/weakness
o Insulin resistance → hyperglycemia (see “Diabetes mellitus”) → mild polyuria in the case of
severe hyperglycemia
o Dyslipidemia
o Weight gain characterized by central obesity, moon facies, and a buffalo hump
o ♂: Decreased libido
o Cataracts
Diagnostics
• ↑ 24-hour urine cortisol (> 3 times the normal value i.e. > 300 μg/24 h) [2]
• ↑ Early morning serum cortisol levels (> 50 nmol/L) following a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test [8]
Hormone analysis
Once glucocorticoid therapy has been ruled out, the following tests are used to identify the cause of hypercortisolism:
2. If secondary hypercortisolism is suspected: one of the following tests may be used to differentiate
disease
• CT and/or MRI of the abdomen: for adrenal tumors (if primary hypercortisolism is suspected)
o The adrenal cortex contralateral to the tumor shows atrophy due to
o In Cushing disease, CT and/or MRI of the abdomen shows bilateral hyperplasia of both
o Abdominal CT
o Pelvic CT
o Thyroid ultrasound
• Inoperable disease (e.g., inoperable adrenal carcinomas, advanced small cell carcinoma of the
lung): drugs to suppress cortisol synthesis (e.g., metyrapone, mitotane, ketoconazole)
“Pituitary adenoma”)
o ACTH-secreting ectopic tumor: resection of the ectopic foci (e.g., bronchial carcinoid)
preexisting ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma → increased secretion of ACTH and MSH → symptoms
• Treatment: surgery (e.g., transsphenoidal resection) and/or pituitary radiation therapy (e.g, in the case of tumor residues
after surgery)
– Immunosuppressive and
antiinflammatory: direct and indirect
regulation of nuclear factor κ-B (NF-κB),
which is a central proinflammatory
transcription factor. Glucocorticoids bind
to glucocorticoid receptors (1), resulting in
increased transcription of the IκB gene, which codes for the antiinflammatory protein IκB. Indirect
regulation thus occurs through IκB-binding of NF-κB (2), preventing its translocation to the nucleus.
The glucocorticoid/GR complex can also directly inhibit the action of NF-κB within the nucleus. Both
direct and indirect pathways result in decreased production of proinflammatory factors, e.g., IL-1, IL-
2, TNFα.