When Steroids Backfire: A Case of Hyperosmolar Hyperglycemic State, Pneumocystis Pneumonia, and Cauda Equina Syndrome.

Authors

Bryson T Grondel, Neel Patel, Chris Talone, Nathalie Vanderrijst

Published in

Cureus. Volume 18. Issue 7. Pages e112402. Epub Jul 10, 2026.

Abstract

Corticosteroids are potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive agents frequently used in short courses for various conditions. However, prolonged or inappropriate use can lead to severe complications, including immunosuppression, metabolic derangements, and delayed diagnosis of underlying disease. Cauda equina syndrome is a neurosurgical emergency that can be masked by corticosteroid therapy, while chronic use also predisposes to opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. We present a case of corticosteroid-induced hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, and cauda equina syndrome, illustrating the systemic consequences of unsupervised steroid use.

PMID:
42572668
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.