Korean Journal of Family Medicine  2013;34(4):289-292

doi:10.4082/kjfm.2013.34.4.289

A Case of Incidentally Discovered Subclinical Cushing Syndrome in a Patient with Chronic Fatigue and Anxiety.

Kyung Jee NAM 1 ; Yun Jin KIM ; Sang Yeoup LEE ; Jeong Gyu LEE ; Young Hye CHO ; Yu Hyun LEE ; Eun Jung CHOI ; Young Jin TAK ; Dong Won YI ; Sung Woo PARK ; Dong Wook JEONG

Affiliations

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Keywords

Subclinical Cushing Syndrome; Adrenal Incidentaloma; Chronic Fatigue; Anxiety

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Subclinical Cushing syndrome (SCS) is a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis abnormality characterized by autonomous cortisol secretion in patients with no typical signs or symptoms of Cushing syndrome. SCS patients may have adverse metabolic and cardiovascular effects due to slight, but continuous glucocorticoid secretion. Glucocorticoids also affect behavior, mood, neural activity, and a number of specific biochemical processes in the central nervous system. Here, we report a case of SCS due to an adrenal incidentaloma in a hypertensive diabetic patient who presented with chronic fatigue and anxiety that disappeared after the removal of the adrenal adenoma.