Abstract
In this interrupted case study, students learn about “Eva,” a twenty-eight-year-old experiencing an array of endocrine-related issues and misdiagnoses. The case provides students with the opportunity to review the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and to dive deeply into the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Students examine the short- and long-feedback loops associated with cortisol regulation, along with its circadian rhythm. Students are exposed to various causes of hyper- and hyposecretion of cortisol and challenged to explore how clinicians use hormone panels and suppression tests to distinguish between primary, secondary, and tertiary disorders. The case was designed for an undergraduate anatomy and physiology or pathophysiology course.