Adrenocortical insufficiency after bilateral adrenal hemorrhage due to anticoagulation and chronic immunothrombocytopenia.

Summary: Adrenocortical insufficiency is defined as the clinical manifestation of chronic glucocorticoid and/or mineralocorticoid deficiency due to failure of the adrenal cortex. It may result in an adrenal crisis, which is a life-threatening disease; thus, prompt initiation of therapy with hydrocortisone is necessary. Symptoms such as hypotension, weight loss, or fatigue are not specific, which is why diagnosis is delayed in many cases. Our patient suffered from immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), an acquired thrombocytopenia caused by an autoimmune reaction against platelets and megakaryocytes. Primary ITP, in which no triggering cause can be identified, must be distinguished from secondary forms (e.g. in the context of systemic autoimmune diseases, lymphomas, or (rarely) by drugs). Patients may be asymptomatic at presentation or may present with a range of mild mucocutaneous to life-threatening bleeding. Here, we report on a 43-year-old woman who had developed adrenocortical insufficiency due to bilateral hemorrhage in the adrenal glands. Because of anticoagulation with phenprocoumon after pulmonary embolism and thrombocytopenia on the basis of ITP, the patient had an increased risk of bleeding. Due to the nonspecific and ambiguous symptoms of adrenocortical insufficiency, prompt diagnosis remains a challenge.

Learning points: Hypocortisolism or adrenal crisis with nonspecific symptoms, especially abdominal and gastrointestinal, is often misinterpreted. Diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency is often delayed because of the initial ambiguous presentation; physicians must be aware to avoid adrenal crisis. Especially in patients with several risk factors for bleeding, unusual bleeding manifestations, such as adrenal hemorrhage, must be considered. Immediate treatment is necessary by substituting hydrocortisone in a higher dosage, and in most cases, fludrocortisone. During the course of treatment, the amount of hydrocortisone can be reduced to a substitution dosage (15-25 mg/day divided into two to three doses/day). Fludrocortisone should be continued at a dosage of 0.05-0.1 mg/day, depending on blood pressure and sodium and potassium levels. All patients should carry a medical alert notification or a steroid emergency card. In the case of trauma, surgery, or other stressful events, hydrocortisone must be administered in higher dosages (e.g. 100 mg i.v.).