Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0235886 (leg edema)
 674 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Relative adrenal insufficiency (RAI) is the term used to describe inadequate production or action of glucocorticoids with respect to the severity of the illness. RAI is frequently found in critically ill patients particularly with septic complications and it is also present in both critically ill and stable patients with liver cirrhosis. In the following study a case report of a patient with decompensated cirrhosis and RAI is presented followed by a brief review of the literature. A 65-year-old male with liver cirrhosis of alcoholic etiology was admitted to hospital with bilateral leg edema, ascites, and marked weakness. At admission, his blood pressure was 82/52 mmHg and he had sinus tachycardia of 130/min. Laboratory analysis revealed hyponatremia (122 mmol/L), while ascites fluid analysis showed no infection. During the first 48 hours of hospitalization the patient remained persistently hypotensive despite adequate vascular filling and the addition of noradrenaline. A standard-dose short synacthen test was performed which revealed a poor cortisol response, which is a compatible criterion for the diagnosis of RAI. Intravenous hydrocortisone therapy was initiated, which resulted in a rapid improvement in patient's general condition, and increase in blood pressure. As the patient became hemodynamically stable without the need of noradrenaline, the hydrocortisone dose was weaned progressively, and he was discharged after 18 days of hospitalization in a stable condition.
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PMID:CORTICOSTEROID TREATMENT IN THE SETTING OF DECOMPENSATED LIVER CIRRHOSIS WITH RELATIVE ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY: A CASE REPORT AND A BRIEF REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. 2748 6

The delayed diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency is relatively common because its symptoms are non-specific. One of the causes of adrenal insufficiency is isolated adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency (IAD), which is sometimes caused by traumatic brain injury. Indeed, severe head trauma is considered to contribute to the incidence of this disease. However, the relationship between milder head trauma-such as chronic subdural hematoma - and the occurrence of hormonal deficiency is uncertain. We herein report the case of a 79-year-old man with IAD who presented with leg edema and pain in his extremities following a recent history of chronic subdural hematoma.
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PMID:Isolated Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Deficiency Following Chronic Subdural Hematoma in an Elderly Man: Is There a Connection? 2876 68