Effects of diphenylhydantoin upon adrenal cortical function in man

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Abstract
In 11 adults with convulsive disorders, plasma corticosteroid responses to intravenous cor-ticotrophin (ACTH) were in the normal range following prolonged administration of diphenylhydantoin. In 7 patients with convulsive disorders in whom diphenylhydantoin treatment was started before puberty, the average plasma corticosteroid response to ACTH was subnormal. The difference is not explained, but, in adults at least, it appears unlikely that a reduction in adrenal cortical responsiveness plays an important role in mediating the beneficial effects of diphenylhydantoin upon seizure threshold.