Can basal cortisol measurement be an alternative to the insulin tolerance test in the assessment of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis before and after pituitary surgery?

Abstract

Serum basal cortisol levels may be used as the first-line test in the assessment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis both preoperatively and postoperatively. Dynamic testing should be limited to the patients with indeterminate basal cortisol levels.