Glucocorticoid hypersensitivity syndrome resulting from inhaled corticosteroid: a case report

• Main Author: Ejiofor T Ugwu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2017-01-01
• Series: The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine
• Subjects: cortisol; Cushing’s syndrome; glucocorticoid hypersensitivity; Nigeria
• Online Access: http://www.esim.eg.net/article.asp?issn=1110-7782;year=2017;volume=29;issue=4;spage=201;epage=203;aulast=Ugwu

The term ‘glucocorticoid hypersensitivity syndrome’ is very sparse in the literature. It describes a very rare entity characterized by the appearance of typical Cushingoid features in the presence of normal or low serum cortisol levels. It is also known as cortisol hyper-reactive syndrome or normocortisolemic Cushing’s syndrome. This report illustrates this unusual phenomenon accompanied by metabolic syndrome-like manifestations in a young Nigerian man who was receiving inhaled corticosteroid for bronchial asthma and who experienced a significant improvement following withdrawal of the steroid treatment.