COVID-19 and Addison

Lambros Athanassiou; Charilaos Samaras; Foteinou Vasiliki Eleni; Ioannis Bliziotis; Panagiotis Athanassiou; Ifigenia Kostoglou-Athanassiou

doi:10.1530/endoabs.110.EP165

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Endocrine Abstracts (2025) 110 EP165 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.110.EP165

ECEESPE2025 ePoster Presentations Adrenal and Cardiovascular Endocrinology (170 abstracts)

COVID-19 and Addison’s disease

Lambros Athanassiou ¹ , Charilaos Samaras ² , Vasiliki Eleni Foteinou ² , Ioannis Bliziotis ² , Panagiotis Athanassiou ³ & Ifigenia Kostoglou-Athanassiou ⁴

Author affiliations

¹Asclepeion Hospital, Voula, Department of Rheumatology, Athens, Greece; ²Asclepeion Hospital, Voula, 1st Department of Medicine, Athens, Greece; ³St. Paul’s Hospital, Department of Rheumatology, Thessaloniki, Greece; ⁴Asclepeion Hospital, Voula, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Athens, Greece

JOINT2967

COVID-19 virus has been found to attack the endocrine system. In particular, it has been shown to affect the thyroid gland. Cortisol secretion has also been shown to be affected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim was to describe the case of a patient who developed adrenal crisis due to an acute infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. A female patient aged 51 had hypotension and hypoglycemia for a period of about 6 months. She had also noticed hyperpigmentation of her skin and her oral mucosa. She developed an acute infection with fever and cough and was found to be positive for the COVID-19 virus. As the infection developed, she had nausea, hypotension, hypoglycemia and finally shock. Hydrocortisone was administered and the patient improved instantly. Adrenal insufficiency was diagnosed. An interferon-gamma release assay - Quantiferon - performed was negative ruling out tuberculosis. Anti-adrenal antibodies were positive. The patient was given hydrocortisone orally 30 mg daily in divided doses for the treatment of adrenal insufficiency. In conclusion, the case of a patient is described who had adrenal insufficiency of an autoimmune etiology and was diagnosed after acute infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus which induced circulatory shock and an adrenal crisis. Hydrocortisone administration was followed by instant recovery and the patient was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency and was treated accordingly.