Isolated Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Deficiency:Report of Three Cases and Literature Review

Isolated adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH)deficiency(IAD)is a rare disease first reported by Steinberg from Japan in 1954,and there have been few clinical reports about IAD to date.IAD is characterized by secondary adrenal cortical insufficiency,low or absent cortisol production,normal or transiently reversible increases in secretion of pituitary hormones other than ACTH,no structural pituitary defects,and exclusion of ACTH deficiency caused by exogenous glucocorticoid use and postoperative pituitary adenoma.This paper retrospectively analyzes the clinical data of three adult patients with IAD and summarizes their clinical characteristics,aiming to improve clinical awareness of this rare disease.