Advances in the medical management of Cushing's syndrome

Background: Management of Cushing's syndrome, that is, excess cortisol secretion, has undergone considerable advances since the pioneering studies by Harvey Cushing. Surgery is clearly first choice for all etiologies of Cushing's syndrome, and medical therapy is largely administered in the interim between other therapeutic options. The limited use of medical therapy is a consequence of the lack of a truly efficacious compound to restrain adrenocorticotrophic hormone or cortisol secretion, but this will hopefully change in the near future as molecules developed over the past few years are tested. Conclusion: This paper illustrates present and perspective medical treatments for Cushing's syndrome.