CUSHING SYNDROME

Course overview

CUSHING SYNDROME IS CAUSED BY PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HIGH CIRCULATING LEVELS OF CORTISOL. THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF CUSHINGOID FEATURES IS IATROGENIC CORTICOSTEROID USE, WHILE SOME HERBAL PREPARATIONS CAN ALSO INCREASE CIRCULATING CORTICOSTEROID LEVELS LEADING TO CUSHING SYNDROME. CUSHING SYNDROME CAN BE INTERCHANGEABLY CALLED HYPERCORTISOLISM. ACTH-DEPENDENT CORTISOL EXCESS DUE TO A PITUITARY ADENOMA IS CALLED CUSHING DISEASE, AND IT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 80% OF ENDOGENOUS CUSHING SYNDROME. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF CUSHING SYNDROME AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING, DIAGNOSING, AND MANAGING THE CONDITION.