Symptoms of Cushing's syndrome

The signs and symptoms that occur with Cushing’s syndrome depend on a number of factors that include the cause of the Cushing’s syndrome, the level of cortisol or ACTH, the age and sex of the patient.

• obesity around the waist and also fat laid down across the shoulders and neck; arms and legs tend to be thin
• the face may be round and flushed
• bruising is commonly present especially on the legs
• wounds may heal very slowly
• there may be muscle weakness
• tiredness
• ‘stretch’ marks around the stomach, hips and thighs
• pigmentation of the skin, particularly of scars and inside the mouth
• raised blood pressure (hypertension)
• too much blood sugar (diabetes)
• fragile bones (osteoporosis)
• women usually have menstrual irregularities.

Tests: Cortisol, ACTH
Condition: Hypertension