tailieunhanh - Cushing's Syndrome

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. Cortisol is a normal hormone produced in the outer portion, or cortex, of the adrenal glands, located above each kidney. The normal function of cortisol is to help the body respond to stress and change. It mobilizes nutrients, modifies the body's response to inflammation, stimulates the liver to raise the blood sugar, and it helps control the amount of water in the body. Another adrenal cortex hormone, aldosterone, regulates salt and water levels which affects. | Cushing s Syndrome WHAT IS CUSHING S SYNDROME 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. Cortisol is a normal hormone produced in the outer portion or cortex of the adrenal glands located above each kidney. The normal function of cortisol is to help the body respond to stress and change. It mobilizes nutrients modifies the body s response to inflammation stimulates the liver to raise the blood sugar and it helps control the amount of water in the body. Another adrenal cortex hormone aldosterone regulates salt and water levels which affects blood volume and blood pressure. Small amounts of androgens male hormones are also normally produced in the adrenal cortex. Cortisol production is regulated by adrenocorticotrophic hormone ACTH made in the pituitary gland which is located just below the brain. When too much cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands or an excess is taken in treating other diseases significant changes occur in all of the tissues and organs of the body. All of these effects together are called Cushing s Syndrome. Cushing s disease is the name given to a type of Cushing s Syndrome caused by too much ACTH production in the pituitary. Dr. Harvey Cushing first described a woman with signs and symptoms of this disease in 1912 and in 1932 he was able to link the adrenal overproduction of cortisol to an abnormality in the pituitary. WHAT CAUSES CUSHING S SYNDROME When cortisol or other glucocorticoid hormones such as hydrocortisone prednisone methyl-prednisolone or dexamethasone are taken in excess of the normal daily requirement for a prolonged period of time it causes Cushing s syndrome. This iatrogenic caused by the treatment form is unfortunately a necessary side effect when high doses of these steroid hormones must be used to treat certain life-threatening illnesses such as asthma rheumatoid arthritis systemic lupus inflammatory bowel .