If you have questions about this JCEM Journal-based CME activity, please direct them to education@endocrine.org. Cost is sometimes cited as a reason for using prednisone or dexamethasone in the United States, where a month's supply costs only a few dollars, whereas even generic hydrocortisone is 10 times more costly for 5- and 10-mg tablets. Lynnette Nieman, M.D., is an Author/Editor for UpToDate, and receives Research Support from HRA-Pharmaceutical. Abbreviations: 21dF, 21-deoxycortisol; 19C, 19-carbon steroids; Aldo, aldosterone; DOC, 11-deoxycorticosterone; B, corticosterone; S, 11-deoxycortisol; F, cortisol; Delta-5, 3-hydroxy-5-ene steroids; Delta-4, 3-keto-4-ene steroids. In essence, it is of predominant importance to assess the androgen equilibrium, whereas 17OHP measurements are of lesser valueprimarily to identify overtreatment, when 17OHP is normal or low. With the advent of pharmaceutical preparation of glucocorticoids starting in the 1960s and newborn screening starting in the 1990s, the majority of children with 21OHD are reaching adulthood, which has yielded a cohort of patients with, in essence, a new disease. Serum cortisol and 17-hydroxyprogesterone interrelation in classic 21-hydroxylase deficiency: is current replacement therapy satisfactory? Lo JC , Schwitzgebel VM , Tyrrell JB, et al. She noted that she had more energy on treatment again but that the androgen excess and daily shaving did not bother her. Falhammar H , Filipsson H , Holmdahl G, et al. Casters A , De Silva P , Rumsby G , Conway GS. A normal semen analysis is the gold standard for normal androgen physiology in the male; however, the semen analysis will remain abnormal for months to years in the man with 21OHD and TARTs or testicular atrophy after an extended period of poor control (44) and might never return to normal despite good control (21). Unskilled providers might reinforce their nonadherence to medication by erroneously concluding that patients who stop therapy without spontaneous crisis have been misdiagnosed and are not vulnerable to adrenal crisis. Once again, the interindividual variation in response, both to the androgen suppression and side effects, is broad. The following JCEM Editors reported relevant financial relationships: The Editor-in-Chief, Leonard Wartofsky, M.D., is a Consultant for Asurogen, Genzyme, and IBSA, and is on the Speaker's Bureau for Genzyme. She had neither taken these medications nor returned for follow-up because, she said, he wanted me to take too much medicine. The staff called the office of her former pediatric endocrinologist, who explained that the patient has classic 21OHD. Claahsen-van der Grinten HL , Otten BJ , Hermus AR , Sweep FC , Hulsbergen-van de Kaa CA. In 1 study, bone mass correlated inversely with the cumulative dose of glucocorticoid (12). The following author reported no relevant financial relationships: Wiebke Arlt, M.D., has no relevant financial relationships. . Although 17OHP is used for diagnosis of all types of 21OHD, 17OHP should not be the sole or dominant parameter used for guiding the management of 21OHD in the adult. This observation suggests that either other adrenal-derived steroids substitute for aldosterone and/or cortisol, or that a physiological compensation for low corticosteroid activity at the target organs has occurred over time. Most patients starting in good control will remain in good control with this treatment, but others will not, mainly because hydrocortisoneeven a large dose at bedtimedoes not last long enough to blunt the rise of ACTH early in the morning (4850). Differences in Beliefs and Behaviors Related to COVID-19 Prevention Among Adult Current and Former Smokers and With and Without A Cancer Diagnosis. Patients rarely tolerate higher dexamethasone doses chronically due to sleep disturbance, weight gain, and skin changes, and these doses should only be used when lower doses are tolerated but ineffective. Gynecological or urological consultation regarding the current genital anatomy should be considered. In fact, 3 or sometimes 2 divided doses of hydrocortisone daily provide good control in most adults with 21OHD who have been compliant with treatment throughout adolescence. The focus of this article is adults with classic 21OHD, and we will include a limited discussion of nonclassic 21OHD. . Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. Rezvani I , Garibaldi LR , Digeorge AM , Artman HG. Glucocorticoid therapy should be minimized to accomplish the goal for the requisite period of time, such as restoring fertility, and 1 retrospective series found better outcomes when hydrocortisone is continued until delivery (29). . Krone N , Braun A , Roscher AA , Knorr D , Schwarz HP. Women with both classic and nonclassic 21OHD often suffer from infertility, even when having regular monthly menses, for reasons discussed below. Speiser PW , Dupont B , Rubinstein P , Piazza A , Kastelan A , New MI. TARTs originate in the rete testis (19) and are thought to expand after chronic ACTH stimulation, just like the adrenal cortex itself. Men and women with 21OHD suffer from subfertility, and although attention has focused on women and androgen excess, the men are probably more commonly and severely affected (16, 20, 21). Surgical TART removal effectively treats the mass effect in the testes but has not been shown to improve fertility (45). Finally, we are indebted to the patients with 21OHD who have allowed us to participate in their care and who have shared their experiences with us. Although osteopenia is common, osteoporosis is uncommon (5, 7), possibly because the detrimental influence of glucocorticoids is in part mitigated by increased exposure to androgens and estrogens. In men, the AD/T ratio is normally <0.2 because most of the T derives from the testis, in which AD is almost completely reduced to T by 17-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (17HSD3) (42, 43). Physical examination should carefully assess signs of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome, including disproportionate supraclavicular and dorsocervical fat pads, facial and upper neck plethora, facial rounding, muscle weakness, violaceous striae, bruising, and skin thinning, which is perhaps the most sensitive finding as in patients treated chronically with dexamethasone. Speiser PW , Azziz R , Baskin LS, et al. Stikkelbroeck NM , Beerendonk CC , Willemsen WN, et al. Even women with classic 21OHD can develop adrenal rest tumors in the pelvic area after bilateral adrenalectomy, with recurrent androgen excess (17, 18). In this respect, the challenge of managing the adult with 21OHD is similar to managing the adult with type 1 diabetes mellitus: the first-morning value (adrenal steroids or glucose) is the most important and the hardest to control; regular insulin given at bedtime will not accomplish this goal and causes problems! Although bilateral adrenalectomy has been suggested as a definitive therapy for children with classic 21OHD in poor control, this approach has fallen out of favor and should be used only in exceptional circumstances. ; David Ehrmann, M.D. Nordenskjld A , Holmdahl G , Frisen L, et al. Claahsen-van der Grinten HL , Otten BJ , Sweep FC , Hermus AR. Most women with classic 21OHD never attempt pregnancy, for many reasons, including vaginal stenosis (59) and dyspareunia (60). McGeoch SC , Olson S , Krukowski ZH , Bevan JS. In addition, adults with 21OHD require cancer screening, immunizations, and general health maintenance like any other adult. We thank our pediatric, internal medicine, and reproductive endocrinology colleagues, surgeons, urologists, gynecologists, psychologists, and others with whom we have shared discussions and management challenges for adults with 21OHD. A typical dose of 9FCA is 0.050.2 mg once daily. The goal of mineralocorticoid replacement is to maintain plasma renin activity as low as possible without causing hypertension or hypokalemia and without orthostasis or salt craving. Aldo low due to suppressed plasma renin activity, secondary to high DOC. Women with 21OHD also develop adrenal rests in or near the ovaries, particularly after bilateral adrenalectomy (17, 18). A second use of dexamethasone is in women with nonclassic 21OHD who suffer from prominent androgen excess, irregular menses, and infertility. Winterer J , Chrousos GP , Loriaux DL , Cutler GB. . The main obstacle to hydrocortisone is adherence to multiple daily doses, but most patients with Addison's disease take 23 daily hydrocortisone doses without difficulty. Reisch N , Willige M , Kohn D, et al. Endocrine Society staff associated with the development of content for this activity reported no relevant financial relationships. For women with 21OHD attempting to conceive, the P4 should be suppressed to below 2 nmol/L (0.6 ng/mL), which almost always requires at least a small evening dose of long-acting prednisolone and in rare cases dexamethasone. The adrenals, ovary, and peripheral tissues lack 17HSD3, and secondary enzymes such as 17HSD5 (AKR1C3) and 17HSD1 convert AD to T or DHEA to androst-5-ene-3,17-diol poorly in comparison. Long-term consequences of vaginal reconstruction surgery in women with 21OHD include vaginal strictures and fistulas as well as frequent urinary tract infections (27). Their care is fragmented and inconsistent, and many stop taking their medications out of frustration. Authors, editors, and Endocrine Society staff involved in planning this JCEM Journal-based CME activity are required to disclose to The Endocrine Society and to learners any relevant financial relationship(s) of the individual or spouse/partner that have occurred within the last 12 months with any commercial interest(s) whose products or services are discussed in the CME content. In order to administer enough dexamethasone at bedtime to provide complete adrenal suppression and replacement throughout the following day, supraphysiological doses (>0.75 mg) must be used, but high doses are not necessary to restore sperm production if given in divided doses such as 0.25 mg twice daily. Ogilvie CM , Rumsby G , Kurzawinski T , Conway GS. Finkielstain GP , Kim MS , Sinaii N, et al. We discourage the use of the prodrug prednisone because at the low doses used for adrenal replacement, its conversion to the active drug prednisolone by 11-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity is inconsistent. Disclosure Summary: R.J.A. Consequently, their care requires unorthodox treatment and monitoring strategies foreign to most endocrine practitioners. Thus, 0.25 mg dexamethasone, administered at bedtime every other day or 3 days a week, is usually sufficient to achieve satisfactory androgen reduction (31), but the dexamethasone-free days avoid the side effects associated with daily therapy. Upon completion of pubertal development and attainment of adult height, the auxological and clinical parameters used to guide therapy are no longer germane, but the need for lifelong treatment persists. Reisch N , Flade L , Scherr M, et al. adjust therapy regimens for men and women with CAH appropriate for their treatment goals. Complex patterns; for example, T is high in females and low in males. The needs and concerns shift as well to include family planning and long-term health quality. Thus, we reserve dexamethasone for only very few specific situations, most prominently the man with TARTs, where continuous ACTH suppression for several months might shrink these tumors and reinitiate fertility if caught early (44). Samuel Dagogo-Jack, M.D., is a Consultant for Merck and Novo Nordisk; a Grantee for the American Diabetes Association, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, National Institutes of Health, and Novo Nordisk; and a Grant Reviewer for the American Diabetes Association and National Institutes of Health. Khan N , Sharma KK , Andersson S , Auchus RJ. 1005954) from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund. For women with 21OHD attempting to conceive, the single most important parameter is maintaining the P4 <2 nmol/L (<0.6 ng/mL) (41). Unilateral or bilateral adrenalectomy has been employed to restore fertility in otherwise compliant men (56) and women (57) with classic 21OHD, respectively. Although most adults with classic 21OHD will already have received a diagnosis, many women with nonclassic 21OHD are not diagnosed until they are evaluated for androgen excess and irregular menses and/or subfertility. Altered steroidogenesis in 21OHD. Common symptoms and conditions, such as fatigue and obesity, might be incorrectly attributed to their adrenal disease or their treatment, either by the physician or the patient. See Table 6 and Supplemental Data (published on The Endocrine Society's Journals Online web site at http://jcem.endojournals.org). The estimated time to complete each JCEM Journal-based CME activity, including review of material, is 1 hour. . Transition of care and coordination of services among providers for adults with 21OHD remains a major problem, particularly for those who require psychological attention due to impaired body image and issues of sexuality consequent to the manifestations of disordered sex development and associated surgeries. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Although vaginal reconstruction surgery is often performed during early childhood, a growing trend is to delay surgery until the patient is old enough to participate in the decision. In 1 study, 70% of patients with nonclassic 21OHD were compound heterozygotes and carriers for classic 21OHD (34). Efforts to improve transitions and coordination of care have begun (25, 26) but are not widely implemented. . Before the initial visit, it is important to review available records for the diagnosis and treatment. was contracted to conduct research by Janssen Pharmaceuticals. When the nonclassical (mild) form is included, 21OHD is the most common genetic disease in human beings. Godbout A , Tejedor I , Malivoir S , Polak M , Touraine P. Sircili MH , de Mendonca BB , Denes FT , Madureira G , Bachega TA , e Silva FA. . Some adults with 21OHD are overtreated with 15 mg hydrocortisone daily, whereas others are grossly undertreated with 510 mg prednisolone twice daily. The diagnosis and treatment of nonclassic CAH has been reviewed in detail elsewhere (30, 31). The dangers of chronic overtreatment are probably the major threat to the long-term health of these adults, but adrenal crises occur with undertreatment, which makes patients also more prone to suffering from TARTs and adrenal tumors. Perhaps the greatest misconception among providers for adults with 21OHD concerns the importance of serum 17OHP as a guide to therapy. In normal females, AD originates from both the adrenals and the ovaries, but in patients with 21OHD, most AD is usually of adrenal origin. Only recently have some data emerged from cohorts of adults with 21OHD, and in some centers, experience with the management of these patients is growing. has nothing to disclose. As a rule of thumb, patients who have been consistently well-controlled since childhood do not need routine adrenal imaging, whereas imaging should be considered for patients with a long history of poor control, inconsistent therapy, or difficult-to-control disease. Women require an evaluation of androgen-dependent body hair growth and acne in the context of depilation treatments, whereas only a brief external genital examination is necessary initially. Thus, initial doses of dexamethasone should be 0.250.375 mg/d. Adults with 21OHD have many unmet medical needs, and additional research to the natural history and optimal interventions is urgently needed to improve outcomes. The same caveats about dexamethasone use during gestation apply to women with nonclassic 21OHD as for classic 21OHD. A very simple, effective, and safe regimen for this purpose utilizes the fact that dexamethasone suppresses adrenal androgen production longer than cortisol synthesis. The enzymes and proteins required for normal cortisol synthesis are shown: StAR, the steroid acute regulatory protein; CYP11A1, cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme or P450scc; CYP17A1, steroid 17-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase or P450c17; 3HSD2, 3-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase type 2; POR, P450-oxidoreductase; and CYP21A2, steroid 21-hydroxylase or P450c21. The diagnosis of nonclassic 21OHD is based on a follicular-phase 17OHP >30 nmol/L (>1000 ng/dL) after cosyntropin stimulation (28). . This experience prompts some to refuse all treatments, because in their minds, the side effects are not worth the slight improvement in daily function. No prospective studies are available either to support or to refute the utility of genotype as a guide to treatment. Each form of CAH has its unique clinical and biochemical features, which derive from the lack of cortisol but sometimes also from excess and/or deficiency of mineralocorticoids and androgens. For women with all forms of 21OHD attempting to conceive, these alternative therapies are contraindicated, and glucocorticoid therapy must be intensified. JCEM Journal-based CME activities are not supported by grants, other funds, or in-kind contributions from commercial supporters. R.J.A. Once again, the range in dose requirements varies considerably among genotypically similar adults with classic 21OHD, based on diet, concurrent medications, and other factors; mineralocorticoid requirements also change in an individual between childhood and adulthood. Search for other works by this author on: Results of screening 1.9 million Texas newborns for 21-hydroxylase-deficient congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Genetics of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Consensus statement on 21-hydroxylase deficiency from the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society and the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology, Health status of adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: a cohort study of 203 patients, Metabolic profile and body composition in adult women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Clinical characteristics of a cohort of 244 patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Observation of hypertension in children with 21-hydroxylase deficiency: a preliminary report, Fractures and bone mineral density in adult women with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Reduced bone mineral density and increased bone metabolism rate in young adult patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Cardiovascular disease risk in adult women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Impact of total cumulative glucocorticoid dose on bone mineral density in patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Congenital adrenal hyperplasia presenting as massive adrenal incidentalomas in the sixth decade of life: report of two patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Total adrenal volume but not testicular adrenal rest tumor volume is associated with hormonal control in patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, High frequency of adrenal myelolipomas and testicular adrenal rest tumours in adult Norwegian patients with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia because of 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Testicular adrenal rest tumors in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia can cause severe testicular damage, Ovarian adrenal rest tumor in a congenital adrenal hyperplasia patient with adrenocorticotropin hypersecretion following adrenalectomy, Use of PET/CT with cosyntropin stimulation to identify and localize adrenal rest tissue following adrenalectomy in a woman with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Prevalence of testicular adrenal rest tissue in neonates, Long term outcome in adult males with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, High prevalence of reduced fecundity in men with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Primary infertility in 45-year-old man with untreated 21-hydroxylase deficiency: successful outcome with glucocorticoid therapy, The challenge of delivering endocrine care and successful transition to adult services in adolescents with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: experience in a single centre over 18 years, Frequency and causes of adrenal crises over lifetime in patients with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Guidelines for the development of comprehensive care centers for congenital adrenal hyperplasia: guidance from the CARES Foundation Initiative, Transition from pediatric to adult healthcare: assessment of specific needs of patients with chronic endocrine conditions, Anatomical and functional outcomes of feminizing genitoplasty for ambiguous genitalia in patients with virilizing congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline, Fertility in women with nonclassical congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Reproductive outcome of women with 21-hydroxylase-deficient nonclassic adrenal hyperplasia, Nonclassic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Predicting phenotype in steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency? . Classic 21OHD has been dichotomously grouped as salt wasting and simple virilizing, depending on whether or not the newborn child spontaneously develops hypotensive crises without provocation, which reflects severe aldosterone deficiency. Without question, dexamethasone is the most effective oral glucocorticoid for suppressing adrenal-derived androgen excess in 21OHD, but it is also likely to cause iatrogenic Cushing syndrome. Ravichandran R , Lafferty F , McGinniss MJ , Taylor HC. Whereas virtually all patients with classic 21OHD are ascertained as children, primarily in the first year of life and now often by newborn screening (2), nonclassic 21OHD is diagnosed occasionally in childhood or at newborn screening, most commonly in adolescence and young adulthood, and sometimes in adulthood. The medical history should include lapses in medication (intentional or otherwise), recent episodes of adrenal crisis and/or increased glucocorticoids, reasons for switching from hydrocortisone to longer-acting glucocorticoids if relevant, and training in emergency hydrocortisone injection. In the United States, the smallest dexamethasone tablet is 0.5 mg, so patients must quarter tiny tablets or use a liquid form to take such low doses. The most common form of CAH, found in 1:16 000 newborns, is 21OHD (1). J.W. recognize when treatments other than glucocorticoids are appropriate. In one clinic, less than half of the referred young adults with 21OHD attended 2 or more appointments with the adult endocrinologist (23). For men with classic 21OHD, TART tissue is not cured by adrenalectomy, and they still require corticosteroid replacement to prevent TART growth and to maintain normal physiology. For these reasons, large doses at night and inverse diurnal rhythm dosing with hydrocortisone should be avoided in adults with 21OHD. This monogenic disease with a clearly defined pathophysiology and biochemistry demonstrates the inherently polygenic nature of all diseases and the importance of individualizing therapy based on each patient's goals and responses.