Cushing syndrome - corticosteroid induced; Corticosteroid-induced Cushing syndrome; Latrogenic Cushing syndrome; Exogenous Cushing syndrome
Symptoms
- Euphoria, unrelated to life situation
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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
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Weight gain -
Weakness -
Backache - Headache
- Acne
- Purple streaks on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, and breasts
- Frequent and easy bruising
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Mental changes -
Impotence -
Stopping of menstruation
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
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Thirst -
Increased urination
Signs and tests
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
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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).
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