Major causes of adrenal crisis
| Adrenal necrosis due to: Adrenal hemorrhage Sepsis Emboli Blunt trauma |
| Sudden withdrawal of corticosteroids in a patient who is steroid-dependent |
| Deterioration of previously undiagnosed adrenal insufficiency after major stress, eg, severe infection |
| Failure to increase corticosteroid dosage in steroid-dependent patients on days of major stress, eg, severe infection, surgerya |
| Acute secondary or tertiary adrenal insufficiency, eg, pituitary apoplexy |
↵a Some animal studies suggest that continuing the maintenance dose of glucocorticoids is adequate to prevent adrenal crisis. It is common practice to provide stress doses of glucocorticoids during an acute illness.