Cushing syndrome was named after scientist Harvey Cushing, who described it in 1932, according to his biography published in the Journal of the Intensive Care Society. He has been dubbed the “father of modern neurological surgery.” He operated on more than 2,000 brain tumours in the span of his 40-year medical career.

Symptoms of Cushing's syndrome include weight gain, a round "moon" face, easy bruising, fat around the base of the neck and the shoulders, stretch marks around the abdomen, hips, breasts and underarms, and weak muscles, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.