Central adrenal insufficiency: who, when, and how? From the evidence to the controversies – an exploratory review

ABSTRACT Central adrenal insufficiency (CAI) is a life-threatening disorder. This occurs when ACTH production is insufficient, leading to low cortisol levels. Since corticosteroids are crucial to many metabolic responses under organic stress and inflammatory conditions, CAI recognition and prompt treatment are vital. However, the diagnosis of CAI is challenging. This is not only because its clinical presentation is usually oligosymptomatic, but also because the CAI laboratory investigation presents many pitfalls. Thus, the clarification of when to use each test could be helpful in many context...

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