Abstract
Hypercortisolism or Cushing’s syndrome is the presence of elevated amounts of cortisol in the body. Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) is released in the hypothalamus, causing release of ACTH from the anterior pituitary. ACTH then acts on the adrenal glands (in the adrenal cortex) to produce cortisol. The most common cause of Cushing’s syndrome is exogenous steroids. If elevated ACTH is produced by a pituitary tumor, the patient is instead said to have Cushing’s disease.
The clinical syndrome caused by hypercortisolism is indistinguishable from metabolic syndrome, typically manifested as central obesity syndrome, insulin resistance (hyperglycemia), hypertension, and dyslipidemia.
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Sharp, C.S., Wilson, M.P. (2018). Hypercortisolism (Cushing’s Syndrome). In: Nordstrom, K., Wilson, M. (eds) Quick Guide to Psychiatric Emergencies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58260-3_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58260-3_19
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