Sandbox:Amd

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Amandeep Singh M.D.[2]

Adrenal Insufficiency

Acute/ Chronic	Disease	Clinical history/findings							Causes	Laboratory findings				Medical therapy	Surgical management
		Hypotension	Skin pigmentation/ findings	Fatigue	Anorexia/ weightloss	Abdominal pain	Muscle weakness	Other history/ findings		Hypo natremia	Cortisol levels	Gold Standard	Other
	Differentiating amongst adrenal insufficiencies
Chronic	Primary adrenal insufficiency/ Addison's disease	+	+	+	+	+	+	Nausea and Vomiting Hypoglycemia	Autoimmune/idiopathic Infections- Tuberculosis, histoplasmosis	+	Low	Cosyntropin/ ACTH stimulation test	Hyperkalemia
Chronic	Secondary adrenal insufficiency	±	–	+	+	–	±	Hypoglycemia (more than primary adrenal insufficiency) Signs of pituitary tumor- Headache, visual field defects (bitemporal hemianopsia)	Hypopituitarism- Tumors, infections, hemorrhage/trauma Drugs- Chronic steroid therapy and its withdrawal, Opiates Genetic- Combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD), POMC (Proopiomelanocortin) gene deficiency	–	Normal	Cosyntropin/ ACTH stimulation test	CT scan/ MRI scan showing pituitary causes
Acute	Acute adrenal insufficiency/ Acute adrenal crisis	++	±	+	+	+	±	Signs of shock Altered mental status/ Loss of consciousness/ Coma Fever Nausea/ Vomiting	Infection Trauma Surgery Anesthesia (Etomidate)	+	Normal to Low	Cosyntropin/ ACTH stimulation test	ECG(Electrocardiogram) CBC (Complete blood count) BUN (Blood urea nitrogen) Creatinine	I/V 0.9% saline 1-3 liters within 12-24 hours I/V Dexamethasone 4 mg bolus, or, I/V hydrocortisone 50 mg bolus
	Differentiating Adrenal Insufficiency from other diseases
	Adrenal hemorrhage/ Waterhouse Friderichsen syndrome	orthostatic	±	+	±	+	–	Fever Tachycardia Dizziness Nausea/Vomiting Diarrhea	Infection Sepsis- pneumonia, Waterhouse Friderichsen syndrome-meningococcemia Cardiac- Congestive heart failure (CHF), Myocardial infarction Gastrointestinal- Acute pancreatitis, Cirrhosis Bleeding situations- Spontaneous abortions, Thrombocytopenia, Anticoagulants use, Surgery, Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia Trauma Thrombotic phenomenon- pulmonary embolus, deep venous thrombosis, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome Tumors- Adrenal adenomas, Pheochromocytoma	+	Normal to low	Cosyntropin/ ACTH stimulation test	CBC (Complete blood count) CT scan
	Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH)	Normal to hypertension	± (can be indicator of Uncontrolled CAH)	–	–	–	–	Female- Ambiguous genitalia/ virilization, infertility Male- Normal or enlarged phallus Short stature Hyperkalemia	21 hydroxylase deficiency 17α hydroxylase deficiency 11 β hydroxylase deficiency	±	Low	Cosyntropin/ ACTH stimulation test	Serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone
	Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH)	–	–	–	–	–	–	Nausea/vomiting Cramps Depressed mood Irritability Confusion Hallucinations Seizures, stupor or coma	Head trauma-subarachnoid hemorrhage Tumors- metastasis Infections- Brain abscess Drugs- Chlorpropamide, Cyclophosphamide, Carbamazepine, Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, commonly called Ecstasy)	+	Normal	Water deprivation test	Decreased osmolality Euvolemia Sodium in urine typically >20 mEq/	Mild- Fluid restriction Moderate- Loop diuretics Severe Hypertonic (3%) saline
	Salt-depletion nephritis/ Salt losing nephropathy	+	–	–	–	+ Flank pain	–	Fever Dysuria Pyuria Oliguria		+	↑		<15:1 BUN:CR
	Anorexia nervosa	+	–	+	+	–	+	Distorted body image Hypoglycemia Amenorrhoea/ oligomenorrhoea Osteoporosis Refeeding syndrome		–	↑	Psychiatric condition	–