Review of Cushing Disease in Canines and Humans

Cushing’s syndrome is a rare endocrine disorder that occurs when your body is exposed to an overabundance of the hormone cortisol.3 Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. The interruption of cortisol secretion can cause weight gain and can ultimately determine where you put the weight on.8 There are many underlying causes such as Pituitary Adenomas, Ectopic ACTH Syndrome, Adrenal Tumors, and Familial Cushing’s Syndrome.2 The majority of these people affected by this hormonal disorder experience weak muscles, increase fat, high blood pressure, etc.1 Although thousands are affected in various ways, there are currently several channels of treatment administered by medical professionals. Through the use of improving technology, medical professionals are better understanding the disorder, allowing them to develop better treatment practices.

     Addison’s disease is a disorder of the endocrine system. It is a hormonal disorder that can strike anyone, any gender at any age. Addison’s disease has also been called Adrenal Insufficiency (hypocortisolism) because the root of the disease is in the adrenal gland not producing enough of the hormone cortisol, or sometimes not enough of the hormone aldosterone to satisfy the body’s needs.

Cushing 's syndrome (CS) is characterized by pathologically elevated free glucocorticoid levels. Endogenous hypercortisolism is usually due to ACTH-secreting pituitary corticotropic adenomas and less often due to ectopic ACTH-secreting neuroendocrine neoplasms or ACTH-independent adrenal cortisol hypersecretion (Yaneva, 2010). Cushing 's disease occurs infrequently in an inherited setting in both of these conditions (Yaneva, 2010).

1. Cushing's disease is a hormonal disorder which is caused by prolonged exposure of the body's tissues to high levels of the hormone cortisol. It is sometimes referred to as hypercortisolism, it is fairly rare and it most commonly affects adults between the ages of 20 to 50. There is an estimated 10 to 15 of every million people who are affected every year.

A disorder that takes place when your body produces an insufficient amount of certain hormones that are produced by the adrenal glands is called Addison’s disease. With Addison’s disease, the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol and often times an insufficient amount of aldosterone as well. Doctors sometimes refer to Addison’s disease as the illness of chronic adrenal insufficiency, or also called hypocortisolism.

Cushing’s syndrome (also known as Cushing’s disease) is a disorder of the endocrine system. The disease is caused by the excess production, or in some cases excess consumption, of the hormone cortisol. The disease can be caused by tumors on the pituitary gland, adrenal gland complications, and the usage of corticosteroids. Cushing’s syndrome is difficult to diagnose due to its rarity, and there is no specific test to diagnose it. Symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome include obesity, “moon face”, slow growth rate, skin changes, and muscle and bone changes. Cushing’s syndrome is treatable. Some of the treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone secreted by the fasicularis layer of the adrenal cortex. One of the most common adrenal disorder is Cushing syndrome. Cushing syndrome is caused by elevated ACTH and subsequent excessive cortisol secretion. Major causes of Cushing syndrome involve ACTH-dependent, and ACTH-independent. ACTH-dependent includes ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma, and ectopic ACTH, while ACTH-independent includes functioning adrenocortical tumor, and exogenous glucocorticoid administration.1 In ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma, Cushing syndrome is the most common cause of noniatrogenic hypercortisolism accounts for about 60% of the cases. It is more prevalent in women than men with a diagnosed age around 20-40 years old. This

Obesity is known to contribute to metabolic abnormalities. Findings of this study suggest that obesity also reflects Cushing's through hormonal interaction.

Each year about 340 horses die due to effects of insulin resistance. That is almost half the deaths caused by horse racing. If a horse or pony suffering from Insulin Resistance and they eat high sugar feed, and eat normal, unsoaked hay the large increase in sugar may cause death or lead to serious life threatening conditions. In horses that don’t suffer from Insulin Resistance and Cushing’s it wouldn’t be as great a concern if they got out and ate feed and hay, but thus act becomes life threatening and fatal for horses and ponies suffering from Insulin Resistance and Cushing’s. Insulin Resistance, Cushings, and Endocrinopathic Laminitis are all very complex diseases that many experts are still gaining an understanding for. Glucose, insulin, and cortisol are major factors not only in Insulin Resistance (IR) and Cushings (PPID) as individual diseases, but they also serve to link the two diseases to Endocrinopathic Laminitis in addition to each other. Insulin Resistance and

5.Cushing's syndrome: a constellation of symptoms caused by steroid excess in the blood. The symptoms include humped back, muscle thinning and weakness, and lowered immunity.

Evelyn was in her senior year of high school. One day she went to the bank with her mother and suddenly she passed out. She had no idea why, Evelyn explains, “It was in the high 80s, I just assumed I was dehydrated”. She was rushed to the emergency room and had multiple tests run on her. At that moment in time she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. It is a condition that occurs with an excessive production of thyroid hormones. Symptoms Evelyn experienced were high blood pressure, heart palpitations, tremors, and rapid weight loss, intolerance to heat, anxiety and sleep deprivation. Due to her thyroid being over active, she was put on medication to control her thyroid. Also she was prescribed blood pressure medication. This was what she

Addison’s Disease, or primary adrenal insufficiency, is primarily caused by Autoimmune Adrenalitis. Autoimmune Adrenalitis is caused by the destructions of the adrenal cortex, resulting in glucucorticoids (primary cortisol), mineralocorticoids (aldosterone), and adrenal androgens deficiencies (Michels and Michels, 2014). Addison’s Disease is also defined by hypocortisolim. Deficiency of cortisol from the adrenal cortex fasciculate layer leads to weakness, weight loss, anorexia, nausea, and diarrhea and pain (Gorman, 2013). Since the entire adrenal cortex is affected, hypotension and glucose deficiency abnormalities are also present. Patients also have low cortisol and aldosterone levels. Low cortisol levels results in less fatty acid and amino

It is a clinical syndrome characterized by sudden headache, vomiting, visual impairment and meningismus caused by rapid enlargement of a pituitary adenoma usually due to hemorrhagic infarction of the tumor. Rapid growth of tumor outstrips blood supply, producing ischemic necrosis leading to hemorrhage.

Then there are diagnosed tests that find out if it has spread throughout the nervous system or other parts of the body using MRI’s. To get rid of the tumor you can get surgery, radiation therapy, drug therapy and chemotherapy. Along with getting rid of the tumor there are treatments for hormonal problems caused by the tumor or other damage done to the pituitary gland. For growth hormone deficiency a daily injection can be taken. For a deficiency of TSH and thyroid, hormone replacement therapy is needed which consists of thyroxin which is observed by blood vessels of thyroid hormone. For deficiency of ACTH and cortisol, cortisol or a similar steroid must be taken under harsh supervision because it is the most life threatening out of all the syndromes. For anti diuretic hormone deficiency causing diabetes insipidus created by damage to the pituitary stalk or posterior pituitary gland, a replacement of anti diuretic hormone must be taken one to two times a

The hormonal disorder, Addison’s disease (also know as Hypoaldosteronism) occurs when the Adrenal Glands are damaged, therefore making it incompetent to produce adequate amounts of aldosterone. Generally, Addison’s disease is caused by an autoimmune response (when the body damages its own tissues) to the adrenal glands, however there are other causes including; cancer, infection or surgical removal of particular tumours within the adrenal, pituitary glands or hypothalamus. Symptoms of this disease develop gradually, such symptoms include; fatigue, salt cravings, dehydration or dizziness.