Adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopenia

Adrenocortical insufficiency is defined as the clinical manifestation of chronic glucocorticoid and/or mineralocorticoid deficiency due to failure of the adrenal cortex. It may result in an adrenal crisis, which is a life-threatening disease; thus, prompt initiation of therapy with hydrocortisone is...

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Main Authors: Sophie Charlotte Hintze, Felix Beuschlein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bioscientifica 2024-11-01
Series:Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports
Online Access:https://edm.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/edm/2024/4/EDM24-0034.xml
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author Sophie Charlotte Hintze
Felix Beuschlein
author_facet Sophie Charlotte Hintze
Felix Beuschlein
author_sort Sophie Charlotte Hintze
collection DOAJ
description Adrenocortical insufficiency is defined as the clinical manifestation of chronic glucocorticoid and/or mineralocorticoid deficiency due to failure of the adrenal cortex. It may result in an adrenal crisis, which is a life-threatening disease; thus, prompt initiation of therapy with hydrocortisone is necessary. Symptoms such as hypotension, weight loss, or fatigue are not specific, which is why diagnosis is delayed in many cases. Our patient suffered from immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), an acquired thrombocytopenia caused by an autoimmune reaction against platelets and megakaryocytes. Primary ITP, in which no triggering cause can be identified, must be distinguished from secondary forms (e.g. in the context of systemic autoimmune diseases, lymphomas, or (rarely) by drugs). Patients may be asymptomatic at presentation or may present with a range of mild mucocutaneous to life-threatening bleeding. Here, we report on a 43-year-old woman who had developed adrenocortical insufficiency due to bilateral hemorrhage in the adrenal glands. Because of anticoagulation with phenprocoumon after pulmonary embolism and thrombocytopenia on the basis of ITP, the patient had an increased risk of bleeding. Due to the nonspecific and ambiguous symptoms of adrenocortical insufficiency, prompt diagnosis remains a challenge.
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spelling doaj-art-38d9e615a08d4faabae47de3b74c19c12025-08-20T01:53:15ZengBioscientificaEndocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports2052-05732024-11-011115https://doi.org/10.1530/EDM-24-0034Adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopeniaSophie Charlotte Hintze0Felix Beuschlein1Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandAdrenocortical insufficiency is defined as the clinical manifestation of chronic glucocorticoid and/or mineralocorticoid deficiency due to failure of the adrenal cortex. It may result in an adrenal crisis, which is a life-threatening disease; thus, prompt initiation of therapy with hydrocortisone is necessary. Symptoms such as hypotension, weight loss, or fatigue are not specific, which is why diagnosis is delayed in many cases. Our patient suffered from immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), an acquired thrombocytopenia caused by an autoimmune reaction against platelets and megakaryocytes. Primary ITP, in which no triggering cause can be identified, must be distinguished from secondary forms (e.g. in the context of systemic autoimmune diseases, lymphomas, or (rarely) by drugs). Patients may be asymptomatic at presentation or may present with a range of mild mucocutaneous to life-threatening bleeding. Here, we report on a 43-year-old woman who had developed adrenocortical insufficiency due to bilateral hemorrhage in the adrenal glands. Because of anticoagulation with phenprocoumon after pulmonary embolism and thrombocytopenia on the basis of ITP, the patient had an increased risk of bleeding. Due to the nonspecific and ambiguous symptoms of adrenocortical insufficiency, prompt diagnosis remains a challenge.https://edm.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/edm/2024/4/EDM24-0034.xml
spellingShingle Sophie Charlotte Hintze
Felix Beuschlein
Adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopenia
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Case Reports
title Adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopenia
title_full Adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopenia
title_fullStr Adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopenia
title_full_unstemmed Adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopenia
title_short Adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopenia
title_sort adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopenia
url https://edm.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/edm/2024/4/EDM24-0034.xml
work_keys_str_mv AT sophiecharlottehintze adrenocorticalinsufficiencyafterbilateraladrenalhemorrhageduetoanticoagulationandchronicimmunothrombocytopenia
AT felixbeuschlein adrenocorticalinsufficiencyafterbilateraladrenalhemorrhageduetoanticoagulationandchronicimmunothrombocytopenia