Congenital anomalies and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Among 74 patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia observed at Childrens Hospital, Los Angeles, in a 25-year period, 36 had the simple virilizing type and 38 the salt-losing type. During the same time, seven children with virilizing adrenal tumors were observed at the hospital. While virilization and dehydration were the most common presenting symptoms, some of the children first came to medical attention because of other symptoms, and 11 of them died before adrenal hyperplasia had been diagnosed. Twenty-eight additional congenital cardiovascular, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal anomalies were found in 16 of these 74 children. With proper management, the patients tolerated such stresses as surgical operation and infections without difficulty.