Francesco Purrello

Publications
  • Review Article
    Review: Adrenal Insufficiency in Liver Disease
    Author(s): Giuseppe Fede, Luisa Spadaro and Francesco Purrello Giuseppe Fede, Luisa Spadaro and Francesco Purrello

    Adrenal Insufficiency (AI), defined as deficient production or action of glucocorticoids resulting from either a structural damage of adrenal glands (primary adrenal insufficiency) or an impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (secondary adrenal disease), is being reported with increasing frequency in patients with liver disease, and some authors proposed the term “hepato-adrenal syndrome”. The prevalence of AI in patients with liver disease varies widely according to the study population: critically ill patients (33-92%), stable cirrhosis (31-60%), or decompensated cirrhosis, such as variceal bleeding (30-48%) and ascites (26-64%). However there is no current consensus about diagnostic criteria to define AI in patients with liver disease, and its prognostic relevance in stable cirrhosis is still unclear. .. View More»
    DOI: 10.4172/2167-0889.1000146

    Abstract PDF