Adrenocortical insufficiency in horses and foals.
Hart KA, Barton MH
Department of Large Animal Medicine, University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, 501 DW Brooks Drive, Athens, GA 30602, USA. khart4@uga.edu
The adrenal cortices produce various steroid hormones that play vital roles in several physiologic processes. Although permanent adrenocortical insufficiency is rare in all species, emerging evidence in both human and equine medicine suggests that transient reversible adrenocortical dysfunction resulting in cortisol insufficiency frequently develops during critical illness. This syndrome is termed relative adrenal insufficiency (RAI) or critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI) and can contribute substantially to morbidity and mortality associated with the primary disease. This review discusses the mechanisms, diagnosis, and clinical consequences of adrenocortical insufficiency, with particular focus on the current understanding of RAI/CIRCI in horses and foals.
Published 11 March 2011 in Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 27(1): 19-34.
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