Cushing syndrome - corticosteroid induced; Corticosteroid-induced Cushing syndrome; Iatrogenic Cushing syndrome; Exogenous Cushing syndrome
Symptoms
- Abdomen that sticks out and thin arms and legs (central obesity)
- Acne
- Collection of fat between the shoulders (
buffalo hump ) - Depression
- Euphoria, not related to life situation
- Excessive facial hair growth in females
- Frequent and easy bruising
- Headache
-
Impotence - Purple stretch marks on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, and breasts
- Round, red, and full face (
moon face ) -
Stopping of menstruation -
Weakness -
Weight gain
Other symptoms that may occur with this disease:
-
Increased urination -
Thirst
Signs and tests
In people who use cortisone, prednisone, or other corticosteroids, the following test results may suggest exogenous Cushing syndrome:
- Low
ACTH level - Low
cortisol level - No response to a cosyntropin stimulation test
- Higher than normal
fasting glucose - Low
serum potassium - Low bone density, as measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
- High cholesterol, particularly high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)
A method called high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can show high levels of the suspected medication in the urine.
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