The Relationship Between Cushing Disease And Cushing Syndrome

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.

According to http://www.webmd.com/, “the adrenal glands don't make enough of a hormone called cortisol, or less often, a related hormone called aldosterone.” That's why doctors sometimes call the illness ''chronic adrenal insufficiency,'' or hypocortisolism. “most important function is to help the body respond to stress. It also helps regulate your body's use of protein, carbohydrates, and fat; helps maintain blood pressure and cardiovascular function; and controls inflammation.” Aldosterone helps your kidneys regulate the amount of salt and water in your body -- the main way you regulate blood volume and keep your blood pressure under control. When aldosterone levels drop too low, your kidneys cannot keep your salt and water levels in balance. This makes your blood pressure drop. “There are two forms of Addison's disease. If the problem is with the adrenal glands themselves, it's called primary adrenal insufficiency. If the adrenal glands are affected by a problem starting somewhere else -- such as the pituitary gland -- it's called secondary adrenal

     Cortisol is in the class of hormones called glucocorticoids and affects almost every organ in the body. One of the most important functions of cortisol is to help regulate the body’s response to stress. Cortisol is also responsible for other necessary functions including: helping to maintain blood pressure and

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).

*Endocrine glands produce – hormones, they work with other hormones to perform many functions including: control water & electrolyte balance, regulating carbohydrate metabolism, working as neurotransmitters, maintaining stress & inflammation, regulate reproductive functions

Another diagnostic method to diagnose adrenal tumors is cortisol saliva testing. In this test, the amount of cortisol in the saliva at or near midnight is normally very low. Multiple repeats of the test to confirm elevated cortisol levels can diagnose Cushing's syndrome. Cushing's syndrome is excess cortisol levels, possibly due to the body secreting too much

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.

themselves are malfunctioning that is called primary adrenal insufficiency. Another reason that cortisol production is lacking might be because not enough ACTH is being generated by the pituitary gland. The second order effect of inadequate levels of ACTH being secreted results in cortisol not being produced. When this is the case it is called secondary adrenal insufficiency (MedlinePlus, 2011).

Cortisol is vital in maintaining bodily homeostasis. Some roles of cortisol include, maintaining blood pressure, slowing down the immune system 's inflammatory response and helping the body to respond to stress.

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.

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

When a dog has too much Cortisol in their body (usually in their adrenal glands), it can result in them getting Cushing's disease. It is the most common hormone related disease in dogs.There are other causes of this disease in dogs like taking medicine with Cortisol in it for a long period of time or having a tumor in the adrenal gland. However, the main cause of this disease in dogs is their bodies producing too much Cortisol.

The endocrine system is a group of glands distributed throughout the human body. This group of glands secretes substances called hormones. These hormones are dumping into the bloodstream (Shier, Butler & Lewis, 2009). The endocrine system does not have a single anatomic location. It is dispersed throughout the human body. The final purpose of this process is to control, regulate, and coordinate the functioning of the human body. Some body functions can be activated or inhibited by hormones, which are secreted in very small quantities. The hormone related diseases may be due to hyper secretion, or a hypo secretion. The hormones secreted by the endocrine glands regulate growth, development and function of many tissues, and coordinate the

Cushing Disease is the result of the excessive production of corticosteroids generally caused by ACTH-secreting benign pituitary microadenoma. Treatment of cushing disease is usually challenging. In some reccurent and permanent cases or sometimes in life-threatening conditions for rapid hormonal control even we have to use bilateral adrenolectomy.

ACTH-independent Cushings Syndrome typically originates from abnormalities of the adrenal gland. Adrenal adenoma and adrenal carcinoma occur when there is a benign or cancerous tumor on the adrenal gland. These tumors can cause over production of cortisol, disrupting homeostasis. Other diseases like Carney complex and McCune Albright syndrome have also been associated with abnormalities of the adrenal gland, causing overproduction of cortisol. A final form of cushings syndrome is exogenous glucocorticoid administration.