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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
06:08
A Novel Method: Super-selective Adrenal Venous Sampling
Published on: September 15, 2017
[Adrenal mass and adrenal insufficiency]
M Martínez Albaladejo1, B García López, S Serrano Corredor
1Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Comarcal del Noroeste, Caravaca de la Cruz, Murcia.
Anales De Medicina Interna (Madrid, Spain : 1984)
|December 1, 1996
Summary
Primary adrenal insufficiency, often autoimmune or tuberculous, is rare in young adults. A latent tuberculous case presented an addisonian crisis during infection, leading to diagnosis and favorable treatment outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Infectious Diseases
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Primary adrenal insufficiency is a rare endocrine disorder, typically presenting in young adults.
- Etiologies include autoimmune mechanisms and tuberculosis, with geographic incidence varying based on tuberculosis eradication rates.
Observation:
- A case report details a patient with latent chronic adrenal insufficiency of tuberculous origin.
- The patient experienced an addisonian crisis during an intercurrent infectious disease, facilitating diagnosis.
- Tuberculous origin was confirmed, and Pott's disease was also detected.
Findings:
- The addisonian crisis was diagnosed during an infectious illness in a patient with previously undiagnosed tuberculous adrenal insufficiency.
- Co-existing Pott's disease (spinal tuberculosis) was identified.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency, especially in endemic areas.
- Prompt corticosteroid and specific anti-tuberculosis treatment led to a favorable clinical outcome.
- Highlights the potential for latent infections to precipitate acute endocrine crises.
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