Factors predicting prolonged glucocorticoid therapy in patients with adrenal insufficiency after laparoscopic adrenalectomy

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is common after adrenalectomy for Primary Adrenal Cushing's syndrome (PACS), due to the inhibition of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPAA) by the functioning adrenal mass. The treatment of post-surgical AI is based mainly on glucocorticoid supplementation therapy. To date, however, there is no known predicting factor of the duration of supplementation therapy in patients treated with laparoscopic adrenalectomy for PACS. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 22-year-old Caucasian female who presented with dyspnea, osteoporosis, vertebral collapses and fractures of the pelvis. The diagnosis of ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome was provided. Abdominal MRI revealed a left adrenal mass suggestive for adrenal adenoma, highly suggestive for PACS. The patient underwent left laparoscopic adrenalectomy. After surgery, glucorticoid supplementation therapy was started. More than A-year steroid replacement therapy was necessary before the patient completely recovered the function of the HPAA. During this period the patient was strictly followed up in order to adjust pharmacologic treatment, thus allowing to investigate the possible causes of such a slow and hard recover of the contralateral adrenal gland function. CONCLUSION: AI is common after adrenalectomy for PACS due to HPAA suppression. The duration of steroid replacement therapy may be vary depending on patient's characteristics and may be uncommonly long, as in our case. We concluded the not only cortisol and ACTH level, but also radiological findings, such as the size of the mass, its functional activity as well as the hypotrophy or atrophy of the contralateral adrenal gland may be predictive of the duration of the steroid therapy. These factors, if correctly studied before surgery, may be of help in tailoring the postoperative management of the patients after adrenalectomy.