Cushing syndrome (Q39859)

Cushing syndrome results from excess of corticosteroid hormones in the body due to overstimulation of the adrenal glands by excessive amounts of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), secreted either by a tumuor of the pituitary gland (Cushing's disease) or by a malignant tumour in the lung or elsewhere. Symptoms include weight gain, reddening of the face and neck, excess growth of body and facial hair, raised blood pressure, loss of mineral from the bones (osteoporosis), raised blood glucose levels, and sometimes mental disturbances.