Cushing's syndrome

American  

noun

1. Pathology. Cushing's disease.

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Cushing's syndrome Scientific  

/ ksh′ĭngz /

1. A syndrome caused by an excess of corticosteroids, especially cortisol, in the blood, characterized by obesity, muscle and skin atrophy, facial fullness (known as moon facies), hypertension, and other physical changes. Glucocorticoid excess is usually caused by a tumor of the adrenal cortex, excessive intake of ACTH or glucocorticoids, or increased production of ACTH from a tumor of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. Cushing's syndrome is named after its discoverer, American neurosurgeon Harvey Williams Cushing (1869–1939).

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Example Sentences

And as her face started to swell, she looked in the mirror and recognized the moon face that is a hallmark of Cushing’s syndrome, a condition that happens when your body has too much cortisol.

From Slate • Sep. 9, 2025

Cushing's syndrome occurs when a person has elevated levels of cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone, inside the body for a long time.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2024

Another relative, Bo McCoy, of Waverly, Ohio, said he had never heard talk of the disease although he has been diagnosed with a different adrenal gland problem — Cushing’s syndrome.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

Cushing’s disease and Cushing’s syndrome — two illnesses linked to hormones gone awry — are named for his discoveries.

From New York Times • Aug. 23, 2010

Cushing’s syndrome was the official diagnosis, possibly related to his MS and possibly not.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama