Addison's disease (also known as chronic adrenal insufficiency, or hypocortisolism) is a rare endocrine disorder, first described by British physician Thomas Addison. It is estimated that it affects about 1 to 2 in 100,000 people. It occurs when the adrenal glands, seated above the kidneys, fail to produce enough of the hormone cortisol and, sometimes, the hormone aldosterone. Addison's disease refers specifically to primary adrenal insufficiency, in which the adrenal glands themselves malfunc ...

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• Addison's disease - Signs and symptoms
• Addison's disease - Early signs
• Addison's disease - Addisonian crisis
• Addison's disease - Diagnosis
• Addison's disease - Pathophysiology
• Addison's disease - Treatment
• Addison's disease - Famous patients
• Addison's disease - In animals
• Addison's disease - Reference

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Addison's disease, Addison's disease - Signs and symptoms, Addison's disease - Early signs, Addison's disease - Addisonian crisis, Addison's disease - Diagnosis, Addison's disease - Pathophysiology, Addison's disease - Treatment, Addison's disease - Famous patients, Addison's disease - In animals, Addison's disease - Reference

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In suspected cases of Addison's disease, one needs to demonstrate that adrenal hormone levels are low after appropriate stimulation with synthetic pituitary hormone. Once demonstrated, the cause of adrenal failure needs to be elucidated. The most common cause is autoimmune, and can be tested for with an assay for 21-hydroxylase antibodies. If there are no antibodies present, infectious or genetic causes should be sought. This may include imaging of the adrenal glands, tests for tuberculosis or HIV ...

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Addison's disease, Addison's disease - Signs and symptoms, Addison's disease - Early signs, Addison's disease - Addisonian crisis, Addison's disease - Diagnosis, Addison's disease - Pathophysiology, Addison's disease - Treatment, Addison's disease - Famous patients, Addison's disease - In animals, Addison's disease - Reference

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Addison's disease - Early signs. Addison's disease progresses slowly, and symptoms may not present or be noticed until some stressful illness or situation occurs. Common symptoms are: chronic fatigue that gradually worsens muscle weakness loss of appetite weight loss nausea/vomiting diarrhea low blood pressure that falls further when standing (orthostatic hypotension) areas of hyperpigmentation (darkened skin), known as melasma suprarenal ...

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Addison's disease, Addison's disease - Signs and symptoms, Addison's disease - Early signs, Addison's disease - Addisonian crisis, Addison's disease - Diagnosis, Addison's disease - Pathophysiology, Addison's disease - Treatment, Addison's disease - Famous patients, Addison's disease - In animals, Addison's disease - Reference

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Cushing's syndrome or hypercortisolism is an endocrine disorder caused by excessive levels of the endogenous corticosteroid hormone cortisol. It may also be induced iatrogenically by treatment with exogenous corticosteroids for other medical conditions. It was discovered by American physician, surgeon and endocrinologist Harvey Cushing (1869-1939) and reported by him in 1932. Cushing's syndrome - Signs and symptoms. Symptoms include rapid weight gain, particularly of the trunk and face with sparing o ...

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• Cushing's syndrome - Signs and symptoms
• Cushing's syndrome - Diagnosis
• Cushing's syndrome - Pathophysiology
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• Cushing's syndrome - Reference

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In medicine, adrenal insufficiency (or "hypocortisolism") is the inability of the adrenal gland to produce adequate amounts of cortisol in response to stress. Causes can include: Acute adrenal insufficiency Addison's disease (autoimmune adrenalitis) Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome Chronic adrenal insufficiency Addison's disease congenital adrenal hyperplasia antiphosph ...

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Fatigue is a state, following a period of mental or physical activity, characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency of accomplishment, usually accompanied by a feeling of weariness, sleepiness, or irritability. It may also follow when, from any cause, energy expenditure outstrips restorative processes and may be confined to a single organ. Fatigue can also be quite dangerous when performing certain duties that require constant concentration, such as driving a vehicle. When someone is sufficiently fatigue ...

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• Fatigue physical - Types
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Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body attacks its own cells. Today there are more than 40 human diseases classified as either definite or probable autoimmune diseases, and they affect 5% to 7% of the population. Almost all autoimmune diseases appear without warning or apparent cause, and most patients suffer from fatigue. The causes of autoimmune diseases are still obscure: Some are thought to be either examp ...

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• Autoimmune diseases - Autoimmune diseases
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• Autoimmune diseases - Suspected
• Autoimmune diseases - Reference

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In physiology, corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex. Corticosteroids are involved in a wide range of physiologic systems such as stress response, immune response and regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte levels, and behavior. Glucocorticoids such as cortisol control carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism and are anti-inflammatory by preventing phospholipid release, decreasing eosinophil action and a number of o ...

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• Corticosteroid - History

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Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH or corticotropin) is a polypeptide hormone synthesised (from POMC, pre-opiomelanocortin) and secreted from corticotropes in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland in response to the hormone corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) released by the hypothalamus. ACTH stimulates the cortex of the adrenal gland and boosts the synthesis of corticosteroids, mainly glucocorticoids but also mineralcorticoids and sex steroids (androgens). Together with ACTH the hormones lipotropin, melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH), β-endorphin and met-enkephalin are also release ...

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• Adrenocorticotropic hormone - Related topics

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Cortisol (hydrocortisone) Cortisol is a corticosteroid hormone that is involved in the response to stress; it increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels and suppresses the immune system. Synthetic cortisol, also known as hydrocortisone, is used as a drug mainly to fight allergies and inflammation. Cortisol - Synthesis. Cortisol is synthesized from progesterone, the precursor of all steroid hormones. The conversion involves hydroxylation of C-11, C-17 and C-21. The s ...

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• Cortisol - Synthesis
• Cortisol - Physiology
• Cortisol - Pharmacology
• Cortisol - Diseases

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Acetazolamide Acetazolamide, sold under the trade name Diamox®, is a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor that is used to treat glaucoma, epileptic seizures, benign intracranial hypertension and altitude sickness. For glaucoma sufferers, the drug decreases fluid formation around the eye resulting in lower internal pressure on the eye. Acetazolamide can only be obtained by prescription and is available as a generic drug. Acetazolamide - Uses. Acetazolamide - General. Including:

• Acetazolamide - Uses
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• Acetazolamide - Contraindications
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Addison is known today for describing a remarkably wide range of diseases. His name has entered into the annals of medicine and is part of the name of a number of medical disorders, including: Addison's disease, sometime called bronze skin disease - progressive destruction of the adrenal glands with the result being deficiency of secretion of adrenocortical hormones. Addison described this condition in his 1855 publication: On the Constitutional and Local Effects of Disease of the Suprarenal Capsules. Addi ...

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Thomas Addison, Thomas Addison - The early years, Thomas Addison - Guy's Hospital, Thomas Addison - Diseases Addison described, Thomas Addison - The end

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Addison's memorable career as a physician and scientist is usually dated to 1817 when he enrolled as a physician pupil at Guy's Hospital.. Guy's Medical School recorded his entrance as follows: "Dec. 13, 1817, from Edinburgh, T. Addison, M.D., paid pounds 22-1s to be a perpetual Physician's pupil." Addison obtained his licentiateship in the Royal College of Physicians in 1819 and some years later was elected a fellow of the Royal College. Addison was promoted to assistant physician on January 14, 1824 and in 1827 he was appointed lect ...

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Thomas Addison, Thomas Addison - The early years, Thomas Addison - Guy's Hospital, Thomas Addison - Diseases Addison described, Thomas Addison - The end

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Thomas Addison was born in Long Benton, Northumberland, the son of Sarah and Joseph Addison, a grocer and flower-seller. He attended the local village school and then went to the Royal Free Grammar School in Newcastle-on-Tyne. He learned Latin well, so well in fact that he made notes in Latin and spoke it fluently. Addison's father wanted him to become a lawyer, but he entered the University of Edinburgh in 1812 as a medical student. In 1815 he received the degree of doctor of medicine. His thesis was on Dissertatio medica inauguralis quaedam de syphilide et hydrargyro ...

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Thomas Addison, Thomas Addison - The early years, Thomas Addison - Guy's Hospital, Thomas Addison - Diseases Addison described, Thomas Addison - The end

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Melasma is thought to be the stimulation of melanocytes or pigment-producing cells by the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone to produce more melanin pigments when the skin is exposed to sun. Women with a light brown skin type who are living in regions with intense sun exposure are particularly susceptible to developing this condition. Genetic predisposition is also a major factor in determining whet ...

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Melasma, Melasma - Symptoms, Melasma - Cause, Melasma - Diagnosis, Melasma - Treatment

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Iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome (caused by treatment with corticosteroids) is the most common form of Cushing's syndrome. Endogenous (i.e. non-iatrogenic) Cushing's syndrome is relatively rare. Incidence of causes of Cushing's syndrome per million person-years: Cushing's disease: 10 Primary adrenal: 3 Ectopic ACTH: 1.4 ...

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Cushing's syndrome, Cushing's syndrome - Signs and symptoms, Cushing's syndrome - Diagnosis, Cushing's syndrome - Pathophysiology, Cushing's syndrome - Therapy, Cushing's syndrome - Epidemiology, Cushing's syndrome - Reference

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Symptoms include rapid weight gain, particularly of the trunk and face with sparing of the limbs (central obesity), "moon face", excess sweating, telangiectasia (dilation of capillaries), atrophy of the skin (which gets thin and bruises easily) and other mucous membranes, purple or red striae on the trunk, buttocks, arms, legs or breasts, proximal muscle weakness (hips, shoulders), and hirsutism (facial male-pattern hair growth). A common sign is the growth of fat pads along the collar bone and on the back of the neck (known as a buffalo hum ...

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Cushing's syndrome, Cushing's syndrome - Signs and symptoms, Cushing's syndrome - Diagnosis, Cushing's syndrome - Pathophysiology, Cushing's syndrome - Therapy, Cushing's syndrome - Epidemiology, Cushing's syndrome - Reference

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When Cushing's is suspected, a dexamethasone suppression test (administration of dexamethasone and frequent determination of cortisol and ACTH levels) and 24-hour urinary measurement for cortisol have equal detection rates (Raff & Findling 2003). A novel approach is sampling cortisol in saliva over 24 hours, which may be equally sensitive. Other pituitary hormones may need to be determined, and performing physical examination directed for any visual field defect may be necessary if a pituitary lesion is suspected (which may compress the opti ...

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Cushing's syndrome, Cushing's syndrome - Signs and symptoms, Cushing's syndrome - Diagnosis, Cushing's syndrome - Pathophysiology, Cushing's syndrome - Therapy, Cushing's syndrome - Epidemiology, Cushing's syndrome - Reference

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If an adrenal adenoma is identified it may be removed by surgery. Pituitary ACTH producing adenoma should be removed after diagnosis. Regardless of the adenoma's location, most patients will require steroid replacement postoperatively at least in the interim as long-term suppression of pituitary ACTH and normal adrenal tissue does not recover immediately. Clearly, if both adrenals are removed replacement with hydrocortisone or prednisolone is imperative. In those patients not suitable for or unwilling to undergo surgery, several drugs have been found to inhibit cortisol sythesis (e.g. ketoconazole, ...

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Cushing's syndrome, Cushing's syndrome - Signs and symptoms, Cushing's syndrome - Diagnosis, Cushing's syndrome - Pathophysiology, Cushing's syndrome - Therapy, Cushing's syndrome - Epidemiology, Cushing's syndrome - Reference

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