Skip to main content

Addison Disease

Joumana Chaiban, MD, MBA, FACE and Aya Bassatne, MD Reviewed 05/2023
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Primary adrenal insufficiency, or Addison disease, results from destruction of adrenal cells leading to inadequate secretion of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids.

  • Etiologies of a...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Weakness, fatigue, weight loss

  • Postural dizziness

  • Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain

  • Depression

  • Decreased cold tolerance

  • Salt craving

  • Myalgia, flaccid muscle paral...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Consider the 5 S’s for the management of adrenal crisis:

    • Salt, Sugar, Steroids, Support, and Search for a precipitating illness

MEDICATION

First Line

Chronic adrenal...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Periodically evaluate for long-term complications of corticosteroid use

  • Use the lowest steroid dose that will relieve the symptoms

  • Periodically screen for developme...

REFERENCES

1
Bornstein SR, Allolio B, Arlt W, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of primary adrenal insufficiency: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2016;101(2):364...

ADDITIONAL READING

Kumar R, Wassif WS. J. Adrenal insufficiency. Clin Pathol. 2022;75:435–442. doi:10.1136/jclinpath-2021-207895  

SEE ALSO

Algorithm: Adrenocortical Insufficiency 

CODES

ICD10

  • E27.1 Primary adrenocortical insufficiency

  • A18.7 Tuberculosis of adrenal glands

  • E27.2 Addisonian crisis

SNOMED

  • 363732003 Addison’s disease (disorder)

  • 186270000 Tuberculous Addison’s disease

  • 76715...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • 80% of cases autoimmune cause; the average age of diagnosis: 40 years

  • 5 S’s for the management of Addison disease: salt, sugar, steroids, support, and search for an underlying cause.

  • Goa...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

 
×