Symptoms:

Symptoms usually include:

• Upper body obesity (above the waist) and thin arms and legs
• Round, red, full face (moon face)
• Slow growth rate in children

Skin changes that are often seen:

• Acne or skin infections
• Purple marks (1/2 inch or more wide), called striae, on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, and breasts
• Thin skin with easy bruising

Muscle and bone changes include:

• Backache, which occurs with routine activities
• Bone pain or tenderness
• Collection of fat between the shoulders (buffalo hump)
• Thinning of the bones, which leads to rib and spine fractures
• Weak muscles

Women often have:

• Excess hair growth on the face, neck, chest, abdomen, and thighs
• Menstrual cycle becomes irregular or stops

Men may have:

• Decreased fertility
• Decreased or no desire for sex
• Impotence

Other symptoms that may occur include:

• Mental changes, such as depression, anxiety, or changes in behavior
• Fatigue
• Headache
• High blood pressure
• Increased thirst and urination

Signs and tests:

Tests are done to confirm there is too much cortisol in the body, then to determine the cause.

These tests confirm too much cortisol:

• 24-hour urine cortisol
• Dexamethasone suppression test (low dose)

These tests determine cause:

• Blood ACTH level
• Brain MRI
• Corticotropin-releasing hormone test, which acts on the pituitary gland to cause the release of ACTH
• Dexamethasone suppression test (high dose)
• Petrosal sinus sampling - measures ACTH levels in the veins that drain the pituitary gland