Adrenal insufficiency in coronavirus disease 2019: a case report

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Novel coronavirus disease 2019 presents with fever, dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath in most cases; however, some rare manifestations in other organs have also been reported so far. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, the case of a 69-year-old Iranian man with coronavirus disease 2019 is presented who suffered from frequent episodes of vasopressor-resistant hypotension during intensive care unit admission, which was finally attributed to the occurrence of acute adrenal insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: As this is a rare complication, adrenal insufficiency might be easily overlooked. However, early detection of this disease among critically ill patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019 could be lifesaving, especially among those unresponsive to vasopressor agents.