Obesity in Cushing's syndrome (CS) is extremely visceral. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of obesity and body composition in CS and nonCS patients. Total fat mass (TFM) and peripheral fat mass (PFM), as well as the rest visceral mass (VM) were determined by Mateigka's equations, and their percentages from the total body mass, PFM% and VM% were also determined. Female Cushings (n=33) with BMI (29.66±4.82 kg/m2) were examined and 66 obese women (O) matched by their BMI (29.56±4.76 kg/m2), and a control group (C) with normal BMI (22.41±1.81 kg/m2) was also examined. CS and O were not significantly different according to their BMI, as well as their TFM, which was 35.59±7.03 kg in O and (36.86±7.76 kg) in CS, but it was significantly lower in C (24.89±5.73 kg). PFM and PFM% were not significantly different between C (17.86±5.89 kg; 28.93±6.39%) and CS (19.27±6.04 kg; 26.19±6.09%), but it was significantly higher in O (27.32±5.86 kg; 35.45±5.43%) compared to C and CS. VM and VM% were not significantly different between C (7.03±2.69kg; 11.83±4.39%) and O (8.27±3.45 kg; 10.96±4.24%), but both of them were significantly lower compared to CS (18.06±4.89 kg; 25.05±6.04%). Conclusion: increase of the TFM in obese women was a result of a preponderant peripheral fat mass increase, but in CS it was a result of an increase of the visceral mass, not peripheral fat mass, confirming significantly increased fat mass accumulation in visceral depots, but not redistribution of the fat mass from the peripheral to visceral parts of the body. .
