THE PITUITARY BASOPHILISM SYNDROME OF HARVEY CUSHING

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Abstract
Since Cushing [1932] described the syndrome of pituitary basophilism (Cushing's syndrome) many cases of the condition have been published. The syndrome is characterized by an obesity sparing the limbs, by marked hypertension, glycosuria and hyperglycaemia, osteoporosis, characteristic cutaneous striae, polycythaemia, amenorrhoea and hypertrichosis in the female, impotence in the male, asthenia and diminished resistance to infection [Cohen & Dible, 1936]. Pathological findings in the condition have been very varied in cases which have been clinically indistinguishable (see Crooke's [1935] series). By 1936 the following abnormalities had been described: basophil adenoma and basophilia (relative increase of pituitary basophil cells); adreno-cortical hyperplasia, adenoma, carcinoma; and thymic carcinoma associated with adreno-cortical hyperplasia. In a few cases neither adreno-cortical, thymic, nor anterior pituitary tumours were recorded [Oppenheimer, Globus, Silver & Shaskin, 1935; Freyberg, Barker, Newburgh & Coller, 1936; Crooke, 1935; Cohen & Dible, 1936]. It seemed remarkable that such diverse pathological findings should be

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