Ectopic Cushing syndrome - Overview
Alternative Names
Cushing syndrome - ectopic
Definition of Ectopic Cushing syndrome:
Ectopic Cushing syndrome is a condition in which a tumor outside the pituitary or adrenal glands produces a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
Cushing syndrome is the result of too much glucocorticoid hormones being released over a long period of time. About 15% of Cushing syndrome cases are due to ectopic Cushing syndrome.
Ectopic Cushing syndrome is caused by tumors that release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Other causes of Cushing syndrome are:
- Excess release of ACTH by the pituitary gland
- Long-term use of corticosteroid drugs (commonly used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma)
- Tumor of the adrenal gland
Tumors that can, in rare cases, release ACTH include:
- Reviewed last on: 3/18/2008
- Elizabeth H Holt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Yale University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
References
Arnaldi G, Angeli A, Atkinson AB, et al. Diagnosis and complications of Cushing's syndrome: A consensus statement. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003;88:5595-5602.
Stewart PM. The adrenal cortex. In: Kronenberg HM, Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 14.
