This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citing articles on Web of Science (2)  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Cornelius C. Cronin, MD; Noel Callaghan, MD; Peter J. Kearney, FRCPI; Dermot J. Murnaghan, MD; Fergus Shanahan, MD

Arch Intern Med. 1997;157(4):456-458.

Abstract
Acute adrenal crisis in patients with unrecognized chronic adrenocortical failure is difficult to diagnose and potentially fatal. We describe 2 patients with acute adrenal crisis whose diagnoses were hindered because of concomitant glucocorticoid treatment. Acute adrenal insufficiency is primarily a state of mineralocorticoid deficiency. Prednisolone and prednisone, the most frequently prescribed anti-inflammatory corticosteroid agents, have minimal mineralocorticoid activity. Several conditions that may be treated with pharmacological glucocorticoids are associated with an increased risk of Addison disease. An acute adrenal crisis, against which concurrent glucocorticoid therapy does not confer adequate protection, may develop in such patients.

Arch Intern Med. 1997;157:456-458

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Medicine (Drs Cronin, Murnaghan, and Shanahan), Neurology (Dr Callaghan), and Paediatrics (Dr Kearney), Cork University Hospital, Cork, Ireland.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?