Pseudo-Cushing's syndrome

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Pseudo-Cushing's syndrome
Specialty Endocrinology

Pseudo-Cushing's syndrome or non-neoplastic hypercortisolism is a medical condition in which patients display the signs, symptoms, and abnormal cortisol levels seen in Cushing's syndrome. However, pseudo-Cushing's syndrome is not caused by a problem with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as Cushing's is: it is mainly an idiopathic condition, though a cushingoid appearance is sometimes linked to excessive alcohol consumption. [1] Elevated levels of total cortisol can also be due to estrogen found in oral contraceptive pills that contain a mixture of estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen can cause an increase of cortisol-binding globulin and thereby cause the total cortisol level to be elevated. [2]

Contents

Signs and symptoms

Diagnosis

Differential diagnosis

Prognosis

References

  1. Parveen June Kumar; Michael L. Clark (2005). Kumar and Clark clinical medicine. Elsevier Saunders. pp. 974–975. ISBN   978-0-7020-2763-5.
  2. C. W. Burke (1969). "The effect of oral contraceptives on cortisol metabolism". Journal of Clinical Pathology. 3: 11–18. doi:10.1136/jcp.s1-3.1.11. PMC   1436049 .
  3. Gatta B, Chabre O, Cortet C, et al. (November 2007). "Reevaluation of the combined dexamethasone suppression-corticotropin-releasing hormone test for differentiation of mild cushing's disease from pseudo-Cushing's syndrome" . Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 92 (11): 4290–3. doi: 10.1210/jc.2006-2829 . PMID   17635947.
  4. Scaroni, Carla; Albiger, Nora M; Palmieri, Serena; Iacuaniello, Davide; Graziadio, Chiara; Damiani, Luca; Zilio, Marialuisa; Stigliano, Antonio; Colao, Annamaria; Pivonello, Rosario (January 2020). "Approach to patients with pseudo-Cushing's states". Endocrine Connections. 9 (1): R1 –R13. doi:10.1530/EC-19-0435. ISSN   2049-3614. PMC   6993268 . PMID   31846432.
  5. Gross BA, Mindea SA, Pick AJ, Chandler JP, Batjer HH (2007). "Diagnostic approach to Cushing disease". Neurosurgical Focus. 23 (3): 1–7. doi: 10.3171/foc.2007.23.3.2 . PMID   17961030.
  6. Newell-Price J, Trainer P, Besser M, Grossman A (1998). "The diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome and pseudo-Cushing's states". Endocrine Reviews. 19 (5): 647–72. doi: 10.1210/edrv.19.5.0346 . PMID   9793762.
  7. Allolio B, Fassnacht M (2006). "Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Clinical Update". Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 91 (6): 2027–2037. doi: 10.1210/jc.2005-2639 . PMID   16551738.