Clinical rheumatology
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Clinical rheumatology · Jun 1983
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in patients receiving long-term intra-articular corticosteroids.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function of eight patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving regular intra-articular methyl prednisolone acetate was studied. Tests of the HPA axis 5-7 weeks after the last injection revealed suppression in two patients. Some patients receiving intra-articular corticosteroids may therefore have abnormal responses to stress.