Adrenal insufficiency in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) often have signs and symptoms suggestive of adrenal insufficiency. Reports in the literature suggest that adrenal insufficiency may be relatively common in patients with AIDS based on the finding of destructive adrenal lesions in a large number of the patients studied. In no series, however, has standard testing for adrenal reserve been done in an unselected population of patients with AIDS. We found a normal response to a standard, short adrenocorticotropic hormone test in 11 consecutive patients with AIDS (P less than .0005). Thus, although adrenal involvement by various destructive lesions may be common in patients with AIDS, clinically significant adrenal insufficiency does not appear to be common.