Which of the following is true about Cushing syndrome?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true about Cushing syndrome?

Excess cortisol produces a recognizable pattern of fat distribution, skin changes, and high blood pressure. Hypertension comes from cortisol’s tendency to retain salt and water and to increase vascular responsiveness. The central or trunk obesity with a rounded face (moon facies) and a collar-like fat pad on the neck are classic fat redistribution effects. Purple or violaceous striae reflect thinning of the skin and connective tissue under cortisol’s influence. Together, these signs form the characteristic picture of Cushing syndrome. The other options don’t fit because they describe features not typical of cortisol excess: low blood pressure and low blood sugar are more aligned with adrenal insufficiency or other states; weight loss goes against the weight gain seen in Cushing; exophthalmos is associated with Graves disease, not Cushing.

Excess cortisol produces a recognizable pattern of fat distribution, skin changes, and high blood pressure. Hypertension comes from cortisol’s tendency to retain salt and water and to increase vascular responsiveness. The central or trunk obesity with a rounded face (moon facies) and a collar-like fat pad on the neck are classic fat redistribution effects. Purple or violaceous striae reflect thinning of the skin and connective tissue under cortisol’s influence. Together, these signs form the characteristic picture of Cushing syndrome.

The other options don’t fit because they describe features not typical of cortisol excess: low blood pressure and low blood sugar are more aligned with adrenal insufficiency or other states; weight loss goes against the weight gain seen in Cushing; exophthalmos is associated with Graves disease, not Cushing.

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