Adrenal insufficiency: Pathology review
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Adrenal insufficiency: Pathology review
Endocrine system
Adrenal gland disorders
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Primary adrenal insufficiency
Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome
Hyperaldosteronism
Adrenal cortical carcinoma
Cushing syndrome
Conn syndrome
Thyroid gland disorders
Thyroglossal duct cyst
Hyperthyroidism
Graves disease
Thyroid eye disease (NORD)
Toxic multinodular goiter
Thyroid storm
Hypothyroidism
Euthyroid sick syndrome
Hashimoto thyroiditis
Subacute granulomatous thyroiditis
Riedel thyroiditis
Postpartum thyroiditis
Thyroid cancer
Parathyroid gland disorders
Hyperparathyroidism
Hypoparathyroidism
Hypercalcemia
Hypocalcemia
Pancreatic disorders
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic nephropathy
Pituitary gland disorders
Hyperpituitarism
Pituitary adenoma
Hyperprolactinemia
Prolactinoma
Gigantism
Acromegaly
Hypopituitarism
Growth hormone deficiency
Pituitary apoplexy
Sheehan syndrome
Hypoprolactinemia
Constitutional growth delay
Diabetes insipidus
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH)
Gonadal dysfunction
Precocious puberty
Delayed puberty
Premature ovarian failure
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Androgen insensitivity syndrome
Kallmann syndrome
5-alpha-reductase deficiency
Polyglandular syndromes
Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (NORD)
Endocrine tumors
Multiple endocrine neoplasia
Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Carcinoid syndrome
Pheochromocytoma
Neuroblastoma
Opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome (NORD)
Endocrine system pathology review
Adrenal insufficiency: Pathology review
Adrenal masses: Pathology review
Hyperthyroidism: Pathology review
Hypothyroidism: Pathology review
Thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer: Pathology review
Parathyroid disorders and calcium imbalance: Pathology review
Diabetes mellitus: Pathology review
Cushing syndrome and Cushing disease: Pathology review
Pituitary tumors: Pathology review
Hypopituitarism: Pathology review
Diabetes insipidus and SIADH: Pathology review
Multiple endocrine neoplasia: Pathology review
Neuroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal system: Pathology review
Assessments
Adrenal insufficiency: Pathology review
USMLE® Step 1 questions
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Questions
USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
of complete
Which of the following laboratory findings is most representative of this patient’s clinical presentation?
Memory Anchors and Partner Content
Transcript
Content Reviewers
Yifan Xiao, MDContributors
Daniel Afloarei, MD
Evan Debevec-McKenney
Zachary Kevorkian, MSMI
While doing your rounds, you see two individuals. First is Mike, a 50-year-old immigrant from Canada who comes in with a 5-month history of progressive fatigue, weight loss, and muscle pain. Personal history is unremarkable but there’s a family history of autoimmune disease. Examination reveals hypotension, and diffuse skin hyperpigmentation most pronounced around the oral mucosa, palmar creases, and knuckles.
Then you see Teresa, a 25-year-old who presents acute vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever. She was accompanied by her mother, who mentions Teresa recently underwent transsphenoidal resection of a pituitary tumor. Examination reveals severe hypotension and altered mental status.
Morning cortisol serum measurements showed decreased levels of serum cortisol in both individuals. Both people have adrenal insufficiency although their symptoms are very different.
Now, adrenal insufficiency is a condition where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough adrenal hormones, particularly cortisol and, sometimes, aldosterone. There are actually three types of adrenal insufficiency. First, primary adrenal insufficiency is when there’s a problem with the adrenal glands themselves. As a result, both cortisol and aldosterone production is deficient. It can be acute, usually due to a massive adrenal hemorrhage, or chronic, in which case it is called Addison disease. Now, a high yield concept to remember is that the most common cause for Addison in high income countries is autoimmune mediated damage to the adrenal glands. In the rest of the world, the most common cause is infection, especially from tuberculosis, but it can also be due to HIV or disseminated fungal infections. Finally, bilateral adrenal metastases of cancer from somewhere else in the body,can also cause chronic adrenal insufficiency.
Summary
Adrenal insufficiency occurs when the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient amounts of hormones. The most common type is hypoadrenalism, which refers to insufficient production of cortisol. This can lead to some symptoms and health problems, including fatigue, weakness, weight loss, and abdominal pain. In severe cases, it can even be life-threatening.
Adrenal insufficiency is divided into two types: primary and secondary. Primary adrenal insufficiency is due to a problem with the adrenal gland itself, while secondary adrenal insufficiency is due to a problem with the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland controls the production of cortisol by the adrenal gland.
Sources
- "Robbins Basic Pathology" Elsevier (2017)
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2)" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine 8E" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "CURRENT Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2020" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2019)
- "Greenspan's Basic and Clinical Endocrinology, Tenth Edition" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2017)
- "Diagnostic Complexities of Eosinophilia" Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine (2013)
- "Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Adrenal Insufficiency: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline" The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2016)
- "Body Water Homeostasis: Clinical Disorders of Urinary Dilution and Concentration" Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (2006)
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