ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) leads to a diminished production of steroid hormones. AI is subdivided into a primary and a secondary form. In primary AI, the underlying defect affects the adrenal gland itself resulting in a low steroid production and an overproduction of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). On the contrary, the cause of secondary AI lies in the pituitary, leading to a reduced production of ACTH and consecutively to a reduced excretion of corticosteroi...