[Idiopathic adrenal cortex dystrophy with the clinical picture of Addison's disease]

Clinical and autopsy findings are reported of three cases of Addisons disease due to idiopathic dystrophy of the adrenal cortex as seen in two women, 20 and 37 years of age respectively as well as a boy of 14 years. Idiopathic dystrophy of the adrenal cortex as a cause of Addisons disease has become aware of more and more frequently for some years. Its classification as an auto-aggression disease has been made a subject for discussion. Morphological findings and immunological investigations with three own cases confirm this conception. This disease should be reminded of with regard to the problem of clinically diagnosing it and the fatal prognosis of untreated cases.