Corticosteroid-induced Atrophy of the Human Adrenals Comparable to Panhypopituitarism A Histopathological Study

Abstract

Adrenal lesions in 89 cases following protracted medication with glucocorticoid derivatives seemed to depend on the age and basic disease of the patient and the element of the agent as well as the dosage and method of medication. Selective and simple atrophy comparable to the adrenal findings confirmed in 10 cases of panhypopituitarism was occasionally observed particularly in cases with relatively short-term medication. Pancortical and degeneration atrophy was most prevalent in cases of long-term medication particularly with large dosage of modern derivatives. Diffuse and nodular hyperplasia of compact cells com-parable to the effect of corticosteroid withdrawal was rare but detected in certain leukemia cases protractedly treated with cortisone or prednisolone.