title: [Adrenal insufficiency in cirrhosis].
abstract: Cortisol is a pluripotent hormone that is vital in the host adaptation to stress. It is essential to maintain the normal vascular tone, endothelial integrity and vascular permeability. Consequently, the failure of an appropriate adrenal response in the setting of critical illness, alteration known as relative adrenal insufficiency, may have important clinical consequences. The diagnosis of this entity is not possible on clinical grounds and relies on the measurement of plasma cortisol levels prior and after adrenal stimulation with synthetic corticotrophin. Several studies performed in the general population have shown that relative adrenal insufficiency contributes to vascular hyporesponsiveness in septic shock and increases mortality. However, contradictory data exist regarding the effects of hydrocortisone administration in these patients. Moreover, recent studies indicate that relative adrenal insufficiency is very frequent in patients with advanced cirrhosis and septic shock and in fulminant hepatic failure. This chapter summarizes the main aspects of the physiopathology, diagnosis and treatment of this entity in patients with acute or chronic liver disease.
authors.affiliation: IMDiM, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Universidad de Barcelona, Ciberehd, Barcelona, España. jfdez@clinic.ub.es
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández-Balsells
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Acevedo
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arroyo
mesh_terms: D000309:Adrenal Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D016638:Critical Illness; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000209:etiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone