How Is Cushing's Syndrome Different From Cushing's Disease?

Both Cushing's syndrome and Cushing's disease are hormonal disorders in which the body's tissues are exposed to too much cortisol.

The extra cortisol results from excessive pituitary secretions of ACTH (adrenocorticotropin), a hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands to release cortisol into the blood.

When the excessive ACTH is due to a benign pituitary tumor, the condition is known as Cushing's disease.

When tumors outside the pituitary cause excessive ACTH production, or when the condition is caused by taking glucocorticoid hormones such as prednisone for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or other inflammatory diseases over a long period of time, the condition is called Cushing's syndrome.