Variable efficacy of glucocorticoids in congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

We have examined the suppression of urinary pregnanetriol and 17-ketosteroids during treatment with cortisol, cortisone, prednisone, and dexamethasone in eight patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. A large individual variation in response to each agent was observed. In some individuals, cortisone is less effective than its generally accepted potency would indicate. At equivalent glucocorticoid dosage, dexamethasone was twice as effective as the other steroids in suppressing urinary 17-ketosteroids and pregnanetriol. The potency of dexamethasone in suppressing adrenal function was 80 times that of cortisol, about twice its generally accepted potency as a glucocorticoid or anti-inflammatory agent.