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

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

Cushing’s syndrome is sometimes the result of a tumor in the adrenal gland or elsewhere in the brain, requiring surgery.

From New York Times • 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

Its slightly less famous cousin, mifepristone—which increases the effectiveness of misoprostol for inducing abortion—can be used in the management and treatment of fibroids and Cushing’s syndrome by blocking progesterone.

From Slate • Jul. 6, 2022

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

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama