Question

A 6-year-old boy has a moon-faced, stocky appearance but with thin arms and legs. His cheeks are unusually ruddy. He is diagnosed with Cushing syndrome. The nurse knows that which of the following is the most likely cause of this condition in this child?

a) Tumor of the pancreas
b) Tumor of the parathyroids
c) Tumor of the adrenal cortex
d) Tumor of the thyroid

Answer 1

Answer: c) Tumor of the adrenal cortex

Step-by-step explanation:

The cortisol is a kind of stress hormone as it helps the body to respond in situations of stress. It helps in maintaining the blood pressure and also responsible for regulating the blood glucose levels.

The adrenal cortex is responsible for secretion of hormone cortisol. If the tumor occurs in the adrenal cortex then the secretion of the hormone cortisol will increase. This is the possible cause of Crushing syndrome. In this situation, the hormone cortisol secretion increases over long period of time.

The symptoms of the cushing syndrome includes the accumulation of fat in the cheeks, trunk, and chin. It gives face stocky appearance and moon face. The cortisol is a catabolic hormone so it causes the wasting of protein as a result of this muscle wasting occurs when leads to thin extremities as compared to trunk. The child face appears red due to hyperpigmentation.