Safety of medications and hormones used in pediatric endocrinology: adrenal.
Glucocorticoids have been prescribed for several decades in treating adrenal insufficiency of various etiologies. These drugs are also heavily used in treating non-endocrine disease. This article will focus on adverse side effects encountered in the chronic use of different types of glucocorticoids in children and young adults with endocrine causes of adrenal insufficiency. Dosing guidelines are discussed with a view toward minimizing the common co-morbidities of growth suppression, excess weight gain, and osteopenia, among others. This article also discusses the use of several inhibitors of adrenal steroid biosynthesis and one glucocorticoid receptor antagonist for the medical treatment of Cushing syndrome.
Frank
Graeme R
GR
Schneider Children's Hospital, New Hyde Park, NY 11040, and New York University School of Medicine, USA.
Speiser
Phyllis W
PW
Griffin
Kurt J
KJ
Stratakis
Constantine A
CA
D000309:Adrenal Insufficiency / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D005938:Glucocorticoids