What is the life expectancy for Cushing’s syndrome?
Life expectancy in Cushing’s syndrome depends on the cause of the Cushing’s syndrome. Cushing’s syndrome can be caused by long-term use of excessive amounts of glucocorticoids, which have the same effect as cortisone in the body. In this case Cushing’s syndrome is curable by discontinuing the medication and does not change life expectancy.
If benign tumours of the pituitary gland or the adrenal gland are the cause of the syndrome, these too are curable if diagnosed early and therefore do not affect life expectancy either. However, Cushing’s syndrome can also be caused in rare cases by tumours of the bronchial tubes in the lungs. These are called small cell bronchial carcinomas.
Although the cortisone level in the blood is elevated, the classic symptoms of Cushing’s syndrome are often absent. The tumours release messenger substances that drive the production of cortisone in the adrenal cortex. These are malignant tumours which are often diagnosed very late. If this is the case, life expectancy can be shortened considerably.
What role does the thyroid play in Cushing’s syndrome?
Primarily, the organ systems of the thyroid gland and those of the adrenal cortex, which produces cortisone, are not connected. However, they are both responsible for the production of important hormones that affect the metabolism. In addition, both are controlled by adjacent centres in the brain.
The role of the thyroid gland becomes important when cortisone is taken as a drug. As it can reduce the absorption of iodine, which is necessary for the production of thyroid hormones. For this reason, the amount of thyroid hormones in the blood should be checked when taking cortisone on a long-term basis.
Cushing’s syndrome in dogs
Cushing’s syndrome in dogs is not uncommon, in fact it is the most common hormone disorder in dogs. The symptoms are not always severe and clear, which is why the diagnosis can be difficult at first. Physiologically, the hormone metabolism in dogs’ bodies is similar to that of humans.
Here, too, the hormone cortisone is subject to a strict regulatory cycle, which means that its production is dependent on several organs and hormones and can decrease and increase at night or under stress. Typical symptoms in dogs’ behaviour are fatigue, loss of performance, apathy, increased drinking behaviour, increased urination, more pronounced panting and increased appetite. Externally, the dog can also change considerably, although the symptoms are not always clear.
Here it comes primarily to hair loss, muscle loss and an increase in fat, which can result in a hanging belly. Similar to humans, dogs also suffer from disorders of the skin tissue and the immune system. As a result, the skin becomes extremely thin and cracked, wounds can no longer heal well and quickly and the immune defence is reduced.
This in turn can result in severe infections but also in unusual fungal diseases. Definite symptoms can, with direct medical improvement, secure the diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome. Often, however, as in humans, Cushing’s tests must first be carried out to prove the excess of cortisone. The therapy in dogs is almost exclusively carried out with medication, as operations are risky, costly and unproven.
