Background Patient Elliot Campbell is a 45-year old male who came to my office six months ago for a yearly check up exam. Elliot comes in for yearly check ups based on his medical history and conditions. Both of his parents have quite a medical history as well, so it is important to keep an eye on Elliot’s health. Elliot is married with three children and works as a lawyer. His wife is present with him today. Since the last time I saw him, he has gained around thirty pounds and his blood pressure and heart rate are slightly increased. Elliot has suffered from an autoimmune disease called Crohn’s disease since he was thirty years old. Also, when he was a teenager, he was diagnosed with Type I diabetes. Both of these conditions have risks to …show more content…
With Cushing’s, it is not always the easiest to diagnose and test for. From the patient’s background and physical examination that I performed, there are several symptoms and conditions that lead me to think Cushing’s. My first concern is his diabetes. Also, Elliot was diagnosed with a case of Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease. He doesn’t have an extensive case of this disorder but he does take medication to treat it. I prescribed him dexamethasone when he was first diagnosed with this disorder fifteen years ago. Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid, which is usually produced by the adrenal glands but not in Elliot’s case. If steroids like dexamethasone are used frequently and for a long duration, this could be a cause to Cushing’s disease. This steroid could also compensate for low cortisol levels caused by the diabetes. We have not done tests to ever look at that. Common symptoms that are also present in Elliot are his weight gain, which is primarily in the upper regions of his body and face and the purple stretch marks that are present across the lower abdomen. Also, patients can experience fatigue and sometimes even the extreme want for food. His wife stated that she has noticed irritability and erectile dysfunction in the past few weeks. These are both symptoms that occur in patients with