Cushing's Syndrome & Cushing's Disease

Cushing's Syndrome is a disease caused by an excess of cortisol production or by excessive use of cortisol or other similar steroid (glucocorticoid) hormones which is produced by the adrenal gland.

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.

Cushing's syndrome is related to both Addison's disease and congenital adrenal hyperplasia in that the latter two conditions cause hypocortisolism, while Cushing's causes hypercortisol.