ENDOCRINE CRISES

Endocrine crises can occur in diabetes mellitus, in pituitary failure when there is a lack of ACTH, TSH or ADH secretion, in severe hyper- o r hypothyroidism (thyroid storm and myxedema coma), severe hyper- or h ypoparathyroidism (parathyroid crisis and tetany), in adrenal failure and in patients with pheochromocytoma or carcinoid tumors. Cushing's s yndrome can be associated with psychotic crises. This review describes the most important clinical features and the basic diagnostic and the rapeutic aspects of the non diabetic endocrine crises.