Cushing's Syndrome and Disease
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Introduction
Cushing's syndrome refers to any situation of excess cortisol. Cushing's disease refers specifically to a pituitary tumour secreting ACTH.
The Case of...
a simple case introducing clincial presentation and calling for a differential diagnosis to get students thinking.
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Causes and Risk Factors
ACTH independent causes include:
- exogenous glucocorticoids (the most common cause)
- adrenal neoplasm
- nodular adrenal hyperplasia
ACTH dependent causes include:
- pituitary adenoma (Cushing's disease, 2nd commonest)
- paraneoplastic ACTH production: (SCLC, carcinoids, pancreatic tumours, 3rd commonest)
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Pathophysiology
Adrenal tumours can be treated with surgery.
Pituitary adenomas can be cured much of the time.
ectopic sources of ACTH can be surgically removed if possible.
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Signs and Symptoms
Cushing's should be considered if people have:
appearance
- rounded face
- abnormal fat deposition in supraclavicular and doral fat pads (buffalo hump)
- weight gain
skin
- wide purple striae over 1 cm
- skin thinning
- easy bruising
- hirsuitism, acne
musculoskeletal
- proximal muscle weakness
- osteopenia or osteoporosis
- non-traumatic fractures in young people
cardiovascular
- hypertension in people under 40
- MI or stroke
metabolic
- glucose intolerance or diabetes
- hyperlipidemia
- kidney stones
gonadal dysfunction
- menstrual disorders
- impotence or decreased libido
other
- frequent infections and poor wound healing
mental health changes
- mood lability
- new onset of irritability, depression, or psychosis
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Investigations
- lab investigations
- diagnostic imaging
Lab Investigations
Cortisol excess can be demonstrated by:
- 24 hour urine free cortisol (4x normal cortisol levels is diagnostic, though false +ves and -ves)
- low dose dex suppression test
- demonstrates resistance to suppression
- better sensitivity, but lower specificity
- diurnal cortisol rhythm
There are some things about false positive tests I don't know.
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Differential Diagnosis
pseudo-cushing's syndrome can result from mild physiologic hypercortisolism:
- stress
- acute or chronic illness
- high estrogen states
- uremia
- mental health disorders
- obesity
- alcoholism
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Treatments
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Consequences and Course
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Resources and References
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Topic Development
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