Clinical Features for Patients with Cushing's Syndrome

 

Symptoms:

(1) weight gain

(2) lethargy

(3) depression

(4) headache

(5) thirst and urinary frequency

(6) backache

(7) muscle weakness

(8) shortness of breath

(9) recurrent infections

(10) abdominal pain

(11) loss of scalp hair (may be more noticeable in women)

 

where:

• Headache may be a feature of a pituitary adenoma.

• Thirst and urinary frequency may be related to diabetes mellitus, below.

 

Symptoms in women:

(1) menstrual irregularities

(2) hirsutism

 

Symptoms in men:

(1) loss of libido

(2) impotence

 

Signs:

(1) hypertension

(2) obesity, which may be truncal or generalized

(3) plethora

(4) facial rounding

(5) easy bruisability

(6) striae

(7) buffalo hump

(8) ankle edema

(9) acne

(10) skin pigmentation

(11) abnormal glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus

(12) osteoporosis with or without fractures

(13) renal calculi

 

The presence of multiple signs and symptoms should prompt appropriate laboratory testing and imaging studies.