The appearance of symptoms of adrenal insufficiency in persons who discontinue the use of corticosteroids after having been treated with them for a prolonged period. In those patients, adrenal function has been suppressed by exogenous hormone and the patient’s adrenal glands do not provide an appropriate response when the patient has a serious infection, surgery, or an accident. This failure to respond to stress may be present for as long as a year after discontinuation of corticosteroid therapy. The syndrome may be prevented by gradual rather than abrupt withdrawal of corticosteroid therapy.