hormonal and metabolic disorders
Cushing Syndrome
Introduction
In Cushing syndrome, the level of corticosteroids is excessive, usually due to taking corticosteroid drugs or overproduction by the adrenal glands. Cushing syndrome usually results from taking corticosteroids to treat a medical disorder or from a tumor in the pituitary or adrenal gland that causes the adrenal glands to produce excessive corticosteroids. Cushing syndrome can also result from tumors in other locations (such as the lungs). People with Cushing syndrome usually develop excessive fat throughout the torso and have a large, round face and thin skin. Doctors measure the level ofcortisoland do other tests to detect Cushing syndrome. Surgery or radiation therapy is often needed to remove a tumor. (See also Overview of the Adrenal Glands .) The adrenal glands may overproduce corticosteroids because of a problem in the adrenal glands or because of too much stimulation from the Overview of the Pituitary Gland , which controls the adrenal glands and other Sometimes a noncancerous tumor (adenoma) develops in the adrenal glands, which causes them to overproduce corticosteroids. Adrenal adenomas are extremely common. About 10% of all people have them by the age of 70. Only a small fraction of adenomas produce excess hormone, however. Cancerous tumors of the adrenal glands are very rare, but some of them also produce excess hormone. 