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AN EVALUATION of adrenal cortical function in patients with chronic hepatic disease and fluid retention was conducted in the light of the established role of this gland in salt and water metabolism. In addition, one group of patients with liver disease was studied in special detail because certain clinical features suggested a particular functional derangement of the adrenal gland. Adrenal and adrenocorticotropic1 hormones were administered in the course of the study, although the use of the latter was limited by its toxic effects. The subjects studied were patients at the Hospital of The Rockefeller Institute. All had evidence of moderate or advanced hepatic cirrhosis with or without ascites. They were classified into three groups: 1) so-called Laennec's cirrhosis; 2) biliary cirrhosis of the xanthomatous type; 3) cirrhosis of undetermined etiology confined to young females, described more fully later. Some patients were included from the group reported by Eisenmenger et al. (1) who were on rigid dietary sodium restriction.
Bongiovanni et al. (Thu,) studied this question.