Cushing Disease (Nursing)

Cushing disease is a rare disorder characterized by increased adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production from the anterior pituitary, leading to excess cortisol release from the adrenal glands. Most often, this caused by a pituitary adenoma or as the result of excess production of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from the hypothalamus. Symptoms include generalized weakness, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, menstrual disorders, or psychiatric changes. Physical manifestations of excess cortisol levels include moon facies, buffalo hump, bruising, abdominal striae, obesity, facial plethora, and hirsutism. Cushing disease is a relatively rare disease. The average incidence of new cases is about 2.4 cases per million people per year. This disease often is diagnosed 3 to 6 years after the onset of the illness. The peak incidence of Cushing disease is in women between the ages of 50 and 60 years. The prevalence of hypertension and abnormalities of glucose metabolism are major predictors of morbidity and mortality in untreated cases of the disease. The mortality rate of Cushing disease is estimated to be about 10% to 11%.