27th May 2025

Complications

Short-term complications include:

• Salt-wasting crisis: hypotension, hyponatremia and hyperkalemia.
• Adrenal crisis: as described in previous sections.

Longer-term complications include:

• Precocious puberty: premature epiphyseal closure and short stature.
• Hyperandrogenism also carries a risk of PCOS, insulin resistance and hypertension.
• Infertility: particularly in forms of classical CAH.
• Side effects related to long-term glucocorticoids: e.g. osteoporosis.
• Testicular adrenal rest tumours: found in males who have undertreated CAH.