Frequency of hypoglycemia in children with adrenal insufficiency.

The frequency of hypoglycemia in 165 children with primary adrenal insufficiency, 118 of whom had Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and 47 Addison's Disease, was 18%. Half of the hypoglycemic episodes occurred in the neonatal period. Hypoglycemia was isolated in 13 children, revealing the disease in 4 newborns with Congenital Adrenal Hypoplasia and in a boy with 11 B Hydroxylase deficiency. Basal plasma cortisol levels were significantly lower in those of subjects who experienced hypoglycemia (47.1 +/- 28.6 ng/ml vs. 106.0 +/- 86.6 ng/ml, p less than 0.001). A significant correlation (p less than 0.001) was found between the plasma concentration of glucose and cortisol at time of hypoglycemia.