[Depression and intermittent hypercortisolism: a difficult differential diagnostic process].

Both Cushing’s and pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome involve a state of hypercortisolism. Cushing’s syndrome is a progressive multisystemic disease, caused by either the administration of corticosteroids, or the overproduction of cortisol by a tumoral process. In pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome the HPA-axis is hyperactive due to a pathophysiological process, most frequently caused by depression.