Pituitary Disorder: Cushing's Syndrome

You're obese in the upper body, face, and neck, yet your arms and legs are slender. Your skin is easily bruised or torn, and your bones are weak. If you're a woman, you may be extremely hairy and have irregular menstral periods. If you're a man, you may be infertile and have a decreased sex drive. You may even have a fatty "buffalo hump" on your shoulders. If these attributes describe you, you may have a rare disease known as Cushing's Syndrome.

Cushing's is caused when the body is excessively exposed to cortisol. The pituitary secretes a hormone that causes the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol. So, Cushing's can happen when either the pituitary gland or the adrenal glands have malfunctioned, or if a medication such as long-term steriods is being administered. If the pituitary is to blame, it's likely because of a benign adenoma on the pituitary.

Surgery or radiotherapy can be used to treat Cushing's of the pituitary. If MRI and CT have ruled out the pituitary as a cause of Cushing's, it's likely that medication or an adrenal tumor are causing the disorder.

Here is a child with Cushing's (Sam). The second picture is after her surgery.