The estimated time to complete each JCEM Journal-based CME activity, including review of material, is 1 hour. Alternative means of controlling androgen excess and menstrual irregularity, including antiandrogens and oral contraceptives, should be considered for long-term management during times when fertility is not desired. Her care had then been transferred to an internal medicine endocrinologist who 4 years earlier had prescribed prednisone, 10 mg twice daily, and 9-fludrocortisone acetate (9FCA), 0.1 mg/d. The Endocrine Society has achieved Accreditation with Commendation. As a result of this expansion, the testis suffers from compression, functional impairment, and eventually fibrosis. 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 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. 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. The block at CYP21A2 (bold X) and raised ACTH cause 21-deoxysteroids to accumulate and to undergo conversion to androgens and estrogens (darkened lines), as well as significant amounts of 21-deoxycortisol due to conversion of 17OHP by CYP11B1, a reaction that is insignificant in the presence of a functional CYP21A2 enzyme. . A very simple, effective, and safe regimen for this purpose utilizes the fact that dexamethasone suppresses adrenal androgen production longer than cortisol synthesis. Adrenalectomy becomes the only option for the management of massive myelolipomas, which will continue to grow and cause symptoms from mass effect if not removed (58). Similarly, women with 21OHD might require some bedtime dexamethasone to sufficiently suppress follicular phase P4 when preferable treatments such as prednisolone fail. Thus, initial doses of dexamethasone should be 0.250.375 mg/d. Accreditation and Credit Designation Statements. The following author reported no relevant financial relationships: Wiebke Arlt, M.D., has no relevant financial relationships. Claahsen-van der Grinten HL , Otten BJ , Hermus AR , Sweep FC , Hulsbergen-van de Kaa CA. Some women with 21OHD who have undergone vaginal reconstruction suffer frequent bladder infections or require surgical resection of abscesses, cysts, or scar tissue. Traditionally, 21OHD is defined as classic if the defect is severe enough to cause cortisol insufficiency or nonclassic if cortisol production is normal but with excessive precursor accumulation to overcome the partial enzymatic block (Figure 2), yielding the characteristic elevation of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) and more specifically 21-deoxycortisol, which is only generated in large amounts in the absence of substantial CYP21A2 function. Consequently, an AD/T ratio >0.5 in a man with 21OHD indicates that a significant fraction of T is of adrenal origin, and if LH and FSH are suppressed with AD/T >1, most of the T is of adrenal origin. McGeoch SC , Olson S , Krukowski ZH , Bevan JS. A complete laboratory panel is shown in Table 5, paired with the information gained from each analyte. Consequently, their care requires unorthodox treatment and monitoring strategies foreign to most endocrine practitioners. 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). . Ravichandran R , Lafferty F , McGinniss MJ , Taylor HC. Several studies have shown reduced bone mineral density in adults with 21OHD (9, 10). If the AD/T ratio is >4 in a woman with 21OHD, most of the T is of adrenal origin. . 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. Suggested Working Classification of 21OHD in Adults. has nothing to disclose. Prednisolone, 0.52 mg, is usually sufficient to achieve the desired control, and a good starting dose is 1 mg. The following author reported relevant financial relationships: Richard J. Auchus, M.D., Ph.D., provided contracted research for Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The Endocrine Society designates this JCEM Journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Consequently, suppressing 17OHP into the normal range invariably results in overtreatment and should not be a treatment goal. 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. Excessive adrenal-derived P4 creates a functional chronic luteal phase, even despite ovulation, which impairs both fertility and menses. 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. 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. . 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. As a general principle, there is no reason to indiscriminately abandon hydrocortisone therapy upon reaching adulthood. Instructions for completing this activity can be found at https://www.endocrine.org/education-and-practice-management/continuing-medical-education/journal-cme. Laboratory data for adults with 21OHD are only a guide, which is less important than the clinical evaluation. 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. Kieren Mather, M.D., received an Investigator-initiated Grant from Novo Nordisk. Their care is fragmented and inconsistent, and many stop taking their medications out of frustration. Only anecdotal information exists for the use of 5-reductase inhibitors or other androgen antagonists in women with 21OHD. In normal females, AD originates from both the adrenals and the ovaries, but in patients with 21OHD, most AD is usually of adrenal origin. . Adrenal steroid biosynthesis pathways and enzymatic defects causing CAH. Also shown are Fdx and FdxR, ferredoxin and ferredoxin reductase, respectively, which are the electron transfer proteins for the mitochondrial cytochrome P450 enzymes in the CYP11 family; SULT2A1, steroid sulfotransferase type 2A1 or DHEA sulfotransferase; and STS, steroid sulfatase. Electrolytes and plasma renin activity or concentration, in conjunction with orthostatic blood pressures, assess volume status, and thus the need for and adequacy of fludrocortisone therapy. At her next visit 3 months later, she had been exercising on her days off and had lost 1 kg. If the prednisolone is contributing more to the 21OHD control than the hydrocortisone, it is then reasonable to transition to twice daily prednisolone; a single morning dose of prednisolone is occasionally sufficient (51). Internal medicine residents and endocrinology fellows receive little training in their care, which further discourages their seeking medical attention. Three doses of 510 mg with each meal is generally necessary yet rarely causes iatrogenic Cushing syndrome, weight gain, or sleep disturbance in most patients. 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. Women with both classic and nonclassic 21OHD often suffer from infertility, even when having regular monthly menses, for reasons discussed below. recognize when treatments other than glucocorticoids are appropriate. 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. In addition to height and weight, blood pressure and heart rate should be obtained in both the seated and standing positions. She noted that she had more energy on treatment again but that the androgen excess and daily shaving did not bother her. In contrast to the vulnerability to hypotension as children, the prevalence of hypertension appears to be increased in adolescents (8) and adults (6, 7) with 21OHD. ; David Ehrmann, M.D. . In women, total T and SHBG are used to determine free and bioavailable T by calculation (38, 39), and these values are the most important parameters to gauge androgen excess. We have a great deal to learn about the management of adults with 21OHD. Although obesity is also common among adults with 21OHD, the blood pressure does not correlate with body mass index (7). Therrell BL , Berenbaum SA , Manter-Kapanke V, et al. Androstenedione (AD) and the AD/T ratio help to ascertain how much T derives from the adrenal vs the ovary. . TARTs are thought to arise from cells of adrenal origin, which travel with the primordial gonad after the adrenal and gonadal cells separate within the urogenital ridge during fetal development. 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. Khan N , Sharma KK , Andersson S , Auchus RJ. 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. When the nonclassical (mild) form is included, 21OHD is the most common genetic disease in human beings. Adults with 21OHD receive a wide range of glucocorticoid treatment regimens, which does not correlate with CYP21A2 genotype or disease severity as children (7, 33, 47). Finkielstain GP , Chen W , Mehta SP, et al. Her laboratory data showed a plasma renin activity of 3.5 ng/mL/h (1 ng/L/s), normal electrolytes, and total T of 62 ng/dL (2.2 nmol/L). One-year clinical evaluation of single morning dose prednisolone therapy for 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Improvement of semen quality in an infertile man with 21-hydroxylase deficiency, suppressed serum gonadotropins and testicular adrenal rest tumours, Diagnosis and therapy surveillance in Addison's disease: rapid adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) test and measurement of plasma ACTH, renin activity, and aldosterone, Flutamide, testolactone, and reduced hydrocortisone dose maintain normal growth velocity and bone maturation despite elevated androgen levels in children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Normal female infants born of mothers with classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, Unilateral adrenal tumor, erectile dysfunction and infertility in a patient with 21-hydroxylase deficiency: effects of glucocorticoid treatment and surgery, Outcome of bilateral adrenalectomy in congenital adrenal hyperplasia: one unit's experience, Giant bilateral myelolipomas in a man with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Type of mutation and surgical procedure affect long-term quality of life for women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, Impaired sexual and reproductive outcomes in women with classical forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, The long term outcome of feminizing genital surgery for congenital adrenal hyperplasia: anatomical, functional and cosmetic outcomes, psychosexual development, and satisfaction in adult female patients, Use of autologous buccal mucosa for vaginoplasty: a study of eight cases, Autologous buccal mucosa vulvovaginoplasty for high urogenital sinus, Copyright 2013 by The Endocrine Society, Comparison of Hormonal Response to a Mixed Meal Challenge in Hypoglycemia after Sleeve Gastrectomy versus Gastric Bypass, Determination of Half-Lives of Circulating FSH and LH Glycoforms in Women during GnRH Receptor Blockade, Crescent, an independent risk factor for the progression of type 2 diabetic kidney disease, Hypogonadism in males with genetic neurodevelopmental syndromes, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, About The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, https://www.endocrine.org/education-and-practice-management/continuing-medical-education/journal-cme, Special Features - Approach to the Patient, Receive exclusive offers and updates from Oxford Academic, The Response of Pituitary Gonadotropes to Synthetic LRF in Children with Glucocorticoid-Treated Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: Lack of Effect of Intrauterine and Neonatal Androgen Excess, Late-Onset Steroid 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency: A Variant of Classical Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Evidence for Reduced 3-ol-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Activity in Some Hirsute Women Thought to Have Poly cystic Ovary Syndrome, Impaired Cognitive Function in Women with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.