PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - P Dandona
AU  - J Mohiuddin
AU  - H G Prentice
TI  - Non-suppression of cortisol secretion by long term treatment with ketoconazole in patients with acute leukaemia.
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.38.6.677
DP  - 1985 Jun 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 677--678
VI  - 38
IP  - 6
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/38/6/677.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/38/6/677.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol1985 Jun 01; 38
AB  - Ketoconazole, a potent antifungal agent, inhibits adrenal steroidogenesis in normal subjects during short term treatment. Since this drug is used in the long term prophylaxis of fungal infections in patients with haematological malignancies, we have investigated whether such patients have evidence of adrenocortical suppression. Six patients on long term prophylaxis with ketoconazole were given tetracosactrin stimulation tests. All patients had high basal cortisol concentrations, which increased further after administration of 25 IU of tetracosactrin. It is concluded that leukaemic patients receiving long term ketoconazole treatment do not have adrenocortical suppression. They may, in fact, have hyperstimulated adrenocortical function due to stress and hypovolaemia.