What could happen if a patient who has taken corticosteroids for an extended period of time stops the medication?

The correct answer is adrenal insufficiency. When a patient has been on corticosteroids for an extended period, their body’s natural production of corticosteroids from the adrenal glands may be suppressed. This suppression occurs because the body becomes reliant on the external source of corticosteroids, leading to a decrease in the gland's ability to produce them when the medication is suddenly stopped.

If the corticosteroid treatment is abruptly discontinued, the patient may experience adrenal insufficiency, a condition characterized by low levels of cortisol, which can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, weight loss, low blood pressure, and in severe cases, an adrenal crisis, which can be life-threatening. This demonstrates how critical it is to taper off corticosteroids gradually under medical supervision.

While the return of the inflammatory condition could indeed occur, it would not specifically address the potential acute consequence of stopping the medication abruptly, which is the adrenal insufficiency. In contrast, stating that nothing will happen fails to acknowledge the physiological impact of long-term corticosteroid use, and hyperadrenal function is more associated with excess corticosteroid levels rather than a cessation of medication.