Adrenal Insufficiency

Adrenal insufficiency (Addison disease) can be categorized as primary or secondary; the former results from adrenal cortex destruction, whereas the latter is caused by disruption of pituitary secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone. The clinical pictures are the same, and their signs can be differentiated only by the presence of hyperpigmentation and vitiligo in autoimmune disease. Diagnosing both chronic and acute syndromes requires laboratory confirmation; however, the only available diagnostic test for adrenal insufficiency is cosyntropin stimulation. Relative adrenal insufficiency is a hypothetical situation stemming from misinterpretation of this test, and there is no pathophysiologic evidence of its existence. The most common form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia is the 21-hydroxylase deficiency syndrome. This module contains 1 highly rendered figure, 2 tables, 4 references, and 5 MCQs.