Abnormal blood chemistry data in Cushing's syndrome: comparison with those for fatty liver

It has been reported that fatty liver is not uncommon in Cushing's syndrome. Biochemical data obtained from routine blood chemistry in 10 patients with Cushing's syndrome were compared with those for 15 patients with histologically verified fatty liver. We found an absence of a decreased GOT/GPT ratio, low normal choline esterase and increased lactic dehydrogenase activities together with lowered serum protein and albumin, and increased blood sugar and total cholesterol in Cushing's syndrome when compared with those of fatty liver cases. These data and additional findings in liver histology obtained from one patient with Cushing's syndrome due to adrenocortical carcinoma indicated that fatty changes in the liver were not frequently encountered in Cushing's syndrome. These abnormal biochemical data might be a way of distinguishing Cushing's syndrome from fatty liver.