[Acute adrenal failure due to adrenal hemorrhagic necrosis secondary to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia]

The authors describe a clinical case with a peculiar sequence of unhealthy events. An operated by osteotomy woman presented a deep venous thrombosis of lever lower extremity with following pulmonary embolism. The patient was treated with heparin. After 5 days, the patient showed a thrombocytopenia, that was not determined by an immune mechanism. The heparin was stopped and the thrombocythemia returned to normal values. But the patient still presented somnolence, asthenia and hypotension. The tests of adrenocortical function showed below normal values. The abdominal CAT showed haemorrhagic necrosis of the suprarenal glands.