question about cushing syndrome

[sualumni05]

if the question address signs of cushing syndrom is it thinning of hair in scalp or hypocalemia? ahhhh

[Bambury]

Among the two choices you provided, it would be hypocalcemia. Excessive levels of cortisol produced by your adrenal glands can lead to hypocalcemia (leading to brittle bones/osteoporosis), and thickening (not thinning) of hair.

[talaxandra]

This is a tricky question. Cushings' can cause hypocalcaemia. On the other hand, although women with Cushings' can have excess facial hair, and children and adolescents in particular can have excessive body hair, thinning of scalp hair can also be a symptom of Cushing's.

[sualumni05]

thanks that was very tricky.. but i think it is hypocalcemia too =T

[talaxandra]

Hypocalcaemia is way more common. Why do they ask questions where there isn't one right answer? :angryfire

[sualumni05]

it was in my nlcex.. I think i failed =T

[thatoneguy]

humm i think its hypocalcium also because an increase in cortisol a glucocoticoid steriod =increase in bloodsugar, which acts as a osmotic diuretic=loss of Ca and potassium and Na.

[Cntw82BanRN]

Among the two choices you provided, it would be hypocalcemia. Excessive levels of cortisol produced by your adrenal glands can lead to hypocalcemia (leading to brittle bones/osteoporosis), and thickening (not thinning) of hair.

I agree...In cushing syndrome patient develop thick and coorifice hair.

[RC1]

It leads to hyperglycemia too. I was aksed about that indirectly. They don't straight up ask you if you would expect to see hypercalcemia or hyperglycemia in Cushing's disease though; it's more like, which of the following lab values would be most indicative of a person suffering from the side effects of long term prednisone treatment? A,B,C, or D. The answers will probably be of the ", , , and" variety meaning that you would expect to see three of the s/sx or values but one of them doesn't quite fit. The lab values may be in either mmol, mEq, or mg/dL so you would be wise to memorize your common electrolytes in all of these units before test day. Incidentally, Swan-Ganz pressures are measured in both cm/H2o and mm/mg. The conversion factor is .736 (1 cm/H2O = .736 mm/hg). It would be benifficial, I think, to make a nice table with Cushing's disease on one side and Addison's disease on the other so you can compare and contrast their manifestaions and such. Do the same for DI and SIADH; hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism; and, for sure, hyperparathyroidism and hypoparathyroidism (speaking of Ca++ imbalances). Every one of these endocrinological disease processes found its way onto my test in one way or the other. The DI question was a killer ", , , and" type question.