Cushing syndrome

Overview

Cushing syndrome occurs when your body is exposed to high levels of the hormone cortisol for a long time. The most common cause of Cushing syndrome, sometimes called hypercortisolism, is the use of oral corticosteroid medication. The condition can also occur when your body makes too much cortisol.

Too much cortisol can produce some of the hallmark signs of Cushing syndrome — a fatty hump between your shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks on your skin. Cushing syndrome can also result in high blood pressure, bone loss and, on occasion, diabetes.

Treatments for Cushing syndrome can return your body's cortisol production to normal and noticeably improve your symptoms. The earlier treatment begins, the better your chances for recovery.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for Cushing syndrome

• Team approach. Cushing syndrome can affect many different systems in your body at once, requiring doctors with knowledge from many disciplines. Mayo Clinic doctors who treat hormone disorders (endocrinologists) work with neurosurgeons, endocrine surgeons, radiologists, pathologists and other specialists to provide you with the best care possible tailored to your needs.
• Research pioneering. Mayo Clinic's Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Nutrition focuses on pituitary and adrenal disorders and is in the process of establishing a large database of patients with Cushing syndrome in the hopes of providing useful information for specialists to better evaluate and treat Cushing syndrome.
• State-of-the-art treatment. Mayo Clinic researchers have made many contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of Cushing syndrome that have been incorporated into clinical practice, including new MRI techniques to localize small pituitary tumors, petrosal sinus sampling, endoscopic transnasal pituitary surgery, Gamma Knife therapy and laparoscopic adrenalectomy, a minimally invasive surgery to remove the adrenal glands.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., ranks No. 1 for diabetes and endocrinology in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., is ranked high performing for diabetes and endocrinology by U.S. News & World Report.

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