The following is an excerpt....
BASICS
Description
- Insufficiency of the adrenal gland from primary disease (partial or complete destruction of adrenal cells) with inadequate secretion of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids
- 80% of cases are caused by an autoimmune process, followed by tuberculosis (TB), AIDS, systemic fungal infections, and adrenoleukodystrophy.
- Addison disease can be differentiated from secondary (pituitary failure) and tertiary (hypothalamic failure) causes of adrenocortical insufficiency because mineralocorticoid function usually remains intact in secondary and tertiary causes.
- Addisonian (adrenal) crisis: Acute complication of adrenal insufficiency (circulatory collapse, dehydration, hypotension, nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia); usually precipitated by an acute physiologic stressor(s) such as surgery, illness, exacerbation of comorbid process, and/or acute withdrawal of long-term corticosteroid therapy
- System(s) affected: Endocrine/Metabolic
- Synonym(s): Adrenocortical insufficiency ...
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