Glucocorticoid hypersensitivity syndrome resulting from inhaled corticosteroid: a case report

Abstract

The term ‘glucocorticoid hypersensitivity syndrome’ is very sparse in the literature. It describes a very rare entity characterized by the appearance of typical Cushingoid features in the presence of normal or low serum cortisol levels. It is also known as cortisol hyper-reactive syndrome or normocortisolemic Cushing’s syndrome. This report illustrates this unusual phenomenon accompanied by metabolic syndrome-like manifestations in a young Nigerian man who was receiving inhaled corticosteroid for bronchial asthma and who experienced a significant improvement following withdrawal of the steroid treatment.

Keywords

• cortisol
• Cushing’s syndrome
• glucocorticoid hypersensitivity
• Nigeria