Cushing Syndrome Definition

A group of symptoms, including a puffy face, fat accumulation around the torso, fat loss from legs and arms, and easy bruising, resulting from elevated levels of cortisol in the bloodstream that are caused either by excess production of the hormone ACTH, as from an adrenal or pituitary tumor, or by administration of high doses of corticosteroid hormones. Cushing syndrome caused by a pituitary tumor is called Cushing disease.