I read an article in Readers Digest yesterday on Cushing's Syndrome and thought I'd link to some information at Wikipedia regarding this!
Based on what I read, it's often misdiagnosed in overweight patients as "you just need to lose weight."
Might be a good read for you or someone you know!
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms include rapid weight gain, particularly of the trunk and face with sparing of the limbs (central obesity), "moon face", excess sweating, telangiectasia (dilation of capillaries), atrophy of the skin (which gets thin and bruises easily) and other mucous membranes, purple or red striae on the trunk, buttocks, arms, legs or breasts, proximal muscle weakness (hips, shoulders), and hirsutism (facial male-pattern hair growth). A common sign is the growth of fat pads along the collar bone and on the back of the neck (known as a buffalo hump). The excess cortisol may also affect other endocrine systems and cause, for example, reduced libido, impotence, amenorrhoea and infertility. Patients frequently suffer various psychological disturbances, ranging from euphoria to frank psychosis. Depression and anxiety, including panic attacks, are common.
Other signs include persistent hypertension (due to the aldosterone-like effects) and insulin resistance, leading to hyperglycemia (high blood sugars) which can lead to diabetes mellitus. Untreated Cushing's syndrome can lead to heart disease and increased mortality. Cushing's syndrome due to excess ACTH may also result in hyperpigmentation of the skin, due to its ability to stimulate melanocyte receptors.
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