Exogenous Cushing syndrome is a form of Cushing syndrome that occurs in people taking glucocorticoid (also called corticosteroid) hormones, such as prednisone.

Exogenous means caused by something outside the body. Exogenous Cushing syndrome occurs when a person takes synthetic glucocorticoids, such as prednisone or dexamethasone, for treatment purposes (for example, to treat asthma).

The signs and symptoms of Cushing syndrome are due to overproduction of certain hormones produced by the adrenal glands, such as cortisol.

For other causes and more information about Cushing syndrome see:

• Cushing syndrome
• Ectopic Cushing syndrome
• Cushing's syndrome caused by adrenal tumor

• Euphoria, unrelated to life situation
• Moon face (round, red and full)
• Buffalo hump (a collection of fat between the shoulders)
• Central obesity with an abdomen that sticks out and thin arms and legs
• Weight gain
• Weakness
• Backache
• Headache
• Acne
• Purple streaks on the skin of the abdomen, thighs, and breasts
• Frequent and easy bruising
• Mental changes
• Impotence
• Stopping of menstruation

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• Thirst
• Increased urination

In people who currently use cortisone, prednisone or other corticosteroids, the following test results may suggest exogenous Cushing syndrome:

• ACTH level, checked in the morning, may be low or undetectable
• Cortisol level, checked in the morning, may be low or undetectable
• No response to a Cosyntropin stimulation test
• Fasting glucose is sometimes higher than normal
• Serum potassium may be low
• Low bone density, as measure by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
• High cholesterol, particularly high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)

High levels of the suspected medication in the urine can be seen with a method called high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).