Open AccessMethylprednisolone Pulse Treatment of Graves' Ophthalmopathy Is Not Associated with Secondary Adrenocortical Insufficiency
Author(s) -
Sofie Jespersen,
Birte Nygaard,
Lars Østergaard Kristensen
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european thyroid journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.23
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 2235-0802
pISSN - 2235-0640
DOI - 10.1159/000440834
Subject(s) - medicine , methylprednisolone , glucocorticoid , acth stimulation test , adrenal insufficiency , endocrinology , bolus (digestion) , basal (medicine) , stimulation , adrenocorticotropic hormone , hormone , insulin
Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) is an inflammatory disease in the orbital region. The first-line medical treatment is glucocorticoids. An important potential side effect of glucocorticoid treatment is suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis with impairment of endogenous cortisol production, implicating symptoms of adrenocortical insufficiency, especially in the period after cessation of therapy with possible risks in cases of intercurrent illness. The aim of this study was to evaluate HPA axis function before and after methylprednisolone pulse treatment of GO.