Cushing syndrome - exogenous

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Hypothalamus hormone production

Cushing syndrome - corticosteroid induced; Corticosteroid-induced Cushing syndrome; Latrogenic Cushing syndrome; Exogenous Cushing syndrome

• Euphoria, unrelated to life situation
• Moon face (round, red and full)
• Buffalo hump (a collection of fat between the shoulders)
• Central obesity with an abdomen that sticks out and thin arms and legs
• Weight gain
• Weakness
• Backache
• Headache
• Acne
• Purple streaks on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, and breasts
• Frequent and easy bruising
• Mental changes
• Impotence
• Stopping of menstruation

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• Thirst
• Increased urination

In people who currently use cortisone, prednisone or other corticosteroids, the following test results may suggest exogenous Cushing syndrome:

• ACTH level, checked in the morning, may be low or undetectable
• Cortisol level, checked in the morning, may be low or undetectable
• No response to a Cosyntropin stimulation test
• Fasting glucose is sometimes higher than normal
• Serum potassium may be low
• Low bone density, as measure by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
• High cholesterol, particularly high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)

High levels of the suspected medication in the urine can be seen with a method called high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Review Date: 08/08/2006
Reviewed By: Robert Hurd, MD, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.