Development and Resolution of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency after an Intra-Articular Steroid Injection

Corticosteroid injections are commonly indicated in inflammatory conditions involving the soft tissues, tendon sheaths, bursae, and joints. Local corticosteroids carry a lower risk of complications than systemic corticosteroid but may be systemically absorbed and subsequently suppress the hypothalam...

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Main Authors: Jia Wei Tan, Sachin K. Majumdar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Endocrinology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/4798466
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author Jia Wei Tan
Sachin K. Majumdar
author_facet Jia Wei Tan
Sachin K. Majumdar
author_sort Jia Wei Tan
collection DOAJ
description Corticosteroid injections are commonly indicated in inflammatory conditions involving the soft tissues, tendon sheaths, bursae, and joints. Local corticosteroids carry a lower risk of complications than systemic corticosteroid but may be systemically absorbed and subsequently suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This can cause secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI) as well as iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome. We report a 78-year-old female who presented with nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms after a recent intra-articular steroid injection in her shoulder. She had hyponatremia, low morning cortisol, and failed to respond to high-dose cosyntropin. Further workup revealed the underlying cause to be SAI. Follow-up testing revealed a recovery of HPA responsiveness within 2 weeks of her initial diagnosis. Conclusion. Our case highlights how the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) can be suppressed with intra-articular steroids. The threshold to test corticosteroid users for adrenal insufficiency should be low in clinical practice, especially for those patients with nonspecific symptoms after steroid injections. Once diagnosed, temporary treatment with steroids may be required.
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spelling doaj-art-cc1f206ad66948dab0b4fe573ceaff062025-08-20T03:04:42ZengWileyCase Reports in Endocrinology2090-651X2022-01-01202210.1155/2022/4798466Development and Resolution of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency after an Intra-Articular Steroid InjectionJia Wei Tan0Sachin K. Majumdar1Department of Internal MedicineDepartment of EndocrinologyCorticosteroid injections are commonly indicated in inflammatory conditions involving the soft tissues, tendon sheaths, bursae, and joints. Local corticosteroids carry a lower risk of complications than systemic corticosteroid but may be systemically absorbed and subsequently suppress the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This can cause secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI) as well as iatrogenic Cushing’s syndrome. We report a 78-year-old female who presented with nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms after a recent intra-articular steroid injection in her shoulder. She had hyponatremia, low morning cortisol, and failed to respond to high-dose cosyntropin. Further workup revealed the underlying cause to be SAI. Follow-up testing revealed a recovery of HPA responsiveness within 2 weeks of her initial diagnosis. Conclusion. Our case highlights how the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) can be suppressed with intra-articular steroids. The threshold to test corticosteroid users for adrenal insufficiency should be low in clinical practice, especially for those patients with nonspecific symptoms after steroid injections. Once diagnosed, temporary treatment with steroids may be required.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/4798466
spellingShingle Jia Wei Tan
Sachin K. Majumdar
Development and Resolution of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency after an Intra-Articular Steroid Injection
Case Reports in Endocrinology
title Development and Resolution of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency after an Intra-Articular Steroid Injection
title_full Development and Resolution of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency after an Intra-Articular Steroid Injection
title_fullStr Development and Resolution of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency after an Intra-Articular Steroid Injection
title_full_unstemmed Development and Resolution of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency after an Intra-Articular Steroid Injection
title_short Development and Resolution of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency after an Intra-Articular Steroid Injection
title_sort development and resolution of secondary adrenal insufficiency after an intra articular steroid injection
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/4798466
work_keys_str_mv AT jiaweitan developmentandresolutionofsecondaryadrenalinsufficiencyafteranintraarticularsteroidinjection
AT sachinkmajumdar developmentandresolutionofsecondaryadrenalinsufficiencyafteranintraarticularsteroidinjection