Čes-slov Pediat 2025, 80(4):184-188 | DOI: 10.55095/CSPediatrie2025/031

Glucocorticoids from a pathophysiological perspective

Šárka Pešková^{1, 4}, Klára Bernášková², Jan David^{3, 4}

¹ Pediatrická klinika, 2. lékařská fakulta, Univerzita Karlova a Fakultní nemocnice v Motole, Praha

² Ústav patofyziologie, 3. lékařská fakulta, Univerzita Karlova, Praha

³ Klinika dětí a dorostu, 3. lékařská fakulta, Univerzita Karlova a Fakultní nemocnice Královské Vinohrady, Praha

⁴ Soukromá pediatrická a nutriční ambulance, Praha

Glucocorticoids are hormones of the adrenal cortex, whose synthetic derivatives are widely used in the therapy of various diseases, mainly due to their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. However, their administration may result in so-called hypercortisolism, the clinical symptoms of which resemble the consequences of overproduction of endogenous glucocorticoids.

This article presents the pathophysiological background of glucocorticoid induced changes in pediatric patients, the understanding of which is essential for proper therapeutic practice.

Keywords: hypercortisolism, pathophysiology, pediatrics

Accepted: June 5, 2025; Published: July 1, 2025  Show citation