Evaluación de la función del eje hipotálamo-hipófisis-adrenal en niños tratados con esteroides

The frequent use of steroid drugs is considered a risk for suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, especially if the treatment is given for longer than four weeks. Planned withdrawal of the drug and timely assessment with a short adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test can aid in the identification of patients at risk for adrenal crisis or insufficiency, and also helps establish if patients need steroid supplementation during periods of increased stress. In this review article the effects that steroids have over the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis are described as well as the various schemes of graduated steroid withdrawal, and the laboratory tests to evaluate the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in such patients.