About Cushing's Disease

Cushing's disease results from the development of a tumor in the pituitary gland. If this tumor causes the development of Cushing's syndrome, then it is called Cushing's disease. Depending on the size of the tumor, eyesight may be compromised. However, most of these tumors are not cancerous.

Identification

• Cushing's disease develops as a result of Cushing's syndrome, when it is caused by a pituitary gland tumor. In Cushing's syndrome, the body produces excessive amounts of cortisol, a steroid hormone that is naturally produced in the body. Cushing's syndrome can also be artificially induced through the over intake of cortisone medications or drugs.
  Cortisol is a hormone that is produced in response to stress, and it helps the body re-regulate itself by inducing the release of glucose to provide the energy necessary to survive the stressful period. Therefore, the amount of circulating cortisol is normally very low, due to the fact that stress is not a normal condition.

Signs and Symptoms

• The typical signs of Cushing's disease include a round and swollen face, large stomach and upper back with thin extremities and sensitive skin. Patients also experience depression and become fatigued very easily. High levels of blood sugar, blood pressure and bone brittleness, as in osteoporosis, are more signs of Cushing's disease. Infections, insect bites and cuts take a longer time to heal than before, and for women, they may develop facial body hair and experience irregular menstrual cycles.

Treatment

• Surgical procedures, drug and hormonal therapy, and even radiation are employed to treat Cushing's disease. The aim is to restore the body's normal hormonal levels. Surgery is often required to remove the tumor in the pituitary gland and/or on the adrenal glands. The hormonal balance is then regulated by supplements that have to be taken both before and after surgery.
  Radiation and/or chemotherapy is also used as a first line of treatment, to reduce the tumor and force the pituitary gland to produce less adrenocorticoscopic hormone, or ACTH, which stimulates the release of cortisol. When none of these treatment modalities are effective in stopping the cause of Cushing's syndrome, then it may be decided to remove both adrenal glands. The patient will then have a lifelong dependency on the necessary hormonal replacement medications, to compensate for the absence of the adrenal glands.

Diagnosis

• Early detection and treatment of Cushing's disease is very important because it is a very serious disease. The key to overcoming this condition is to have it treated as early as possible. To diagnose Cushing's disease, the physician examines the blood and urine levels of the adrenal cortex hormones. These levels are constantly high in the Cushing's disease cases. The physician will use further tests to determine and verify that the disease is caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland.

Warning

• Treating Cushing's disease very early on diverts further complications from the disease. The release of cortisol in high amounts causes eventual bone loss or osteoporosis. High levels of circulating cortisol induces high blood pressure and the formation of kidney stones. Cushing's disease can also cause infections throughout the body. It even leads to other diseases, such as hypothyroidism and diabetes. The pituitary hormonal production is also compromised by these tumors.