Laboratorial Diagnosis of Cushing’s Syndrome: Differential Diagnosis with Pseudo Cushing’s Conditions as Obesity, Alcoholism and Depression

Abstract

The diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome requires a high degree of suspicion and this may lead to testing of patients with some, but not all, features of hypercortisolism due to causes other than adrenal/pituitary dysfunction. Indeed, conditions such as depression, alcoholism, obesity and polycystic ovary syndrome may be accompanied by Cushing's-like physical and biochemical changes and are therefore grouped under the heading of ``pseudoCushing{''}. This review will summarize clinical and biochemical findings in pseudoCushing's states and describe the differential diagnosis with Cushing's syndrome.