Bilateral adrenal haemorrhage secondary to intra-abdominal sepsis: a case report.
Affiliation
Department of Surgery, Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland and, 2Department of Radiology, Mayo General Hospital,Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland., aoife.egan@gmail.comIssue Date
2012-01-31T15:55:38Z
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Cases J. 2009 Jun 9;2:6894.Journal
Cases journalDOI
10.4076/1757-1626-2-6894PubMed ID
19829879Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Bilateral adrenal haemorrhage is a rare cause of adrenal failure. Clinical features are non-specific and therefore a high index of suspicion must be maintained in patients at risk. Predisposing factors include infection, malignancy and the post-operative state. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a patient who underwent a left hemicolectomy with primary anastomosis and formation of a defunctioning loop ileostomy for an obstructing colon carcinoma at the splenic flexure. En-bloc splenectomy was performed to ensure an oncologic resection. The patient developed a purulent abdominal collection post-operatively and became septic with hypotension and pyrexia. This precipitated acute bilateral adrenal haemorrhage with consequent adrenal insufficiency. Clinical suspicion was confirmed by radiological findings and a co-syntropin test. Following drainage of the collection, antibiotic therapy and corticosteroid replacement, the patient made an excellent recovery. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment of adrenal failure. In their absence, this condition can rapidly lead to death of the patient.Language
engISSN
1757-1626 (Electronic)1757-1626 (Linking)
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.4076/1757-1626-2-6894