Causes of Addison's Disease

List of causes of Addison's Disease

Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Addison's Disease) that could possibly cause Addison's Disease includes:

• Tuberculosis
• Polyendocrine deficiency syndrome
• Chronic infections - mainly fungal infections
• Adrenal cancer
• Amyloidosis
• Adrenal gland removal
• Adrenal gland physical damage
• The underlying cause of Addison's might be the pituitary gland rather than the adrenal glands:
  • Pituitary tumor
  • Pituitary infection
  • Pituitary tumor radiation treatment
  • Hypothalamus surgery or removal
  • Pituitary gland tumor removal - the removal of ACTH-producing tumors of the pituitary gland (Cushing's disease) can lead to a temporary form of Addison's disease, requiring treatment.

Longer list of causes of Adrenal gland symptoms: see full list of causes for Adrenal gland symptoms

Causes of Addison's Disease: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Addison's Disease.

Adrenal hypofunction: Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Adrenal hypofunction occurs when more than 90% of both adrenal glands are destroyed, an occurrence that typically results from an autoimmune process in which circulating antibodies react specifically against the adrenal tissue. Other causes include tuberculosis (once the chief cause; now responsible for less than 10% of adult cases), bilateral adrenalectomy, hemorrhage into the adrenal gland, neoplasms, and infections (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, histoplasmosis, and cytomegalovirus). Rarely, a familial tendency to autoimmune disease predisposes the patient to adrenal hypofunction and other endocrinopathies.

Secondary adrenal hypofunction that results in glucocorticoid deficiency can stem from hypopituitarism (causing decreased corticotropin secretion), abrupt withdrawal of long-term corticosteroid therapy (long-term exogenous corticosteroid stimulation suppresses pituitary corticotropin secretion and results in adrenal gland atrophy), or removal of a nonendocrine, corticotropin-secreting tumor. Adrenal crisis follows when trauma, surgery, or other physiologic stress exhausts the body’s stores of glucocorticoids in a person with adrenal hypofunction.

Adrenal hypofunction affects 1 in 16,000 neonates congenitally. In adults, it affects 8 in 100,000 people, and males and females are affected equally. There’s no racial predilection.

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Adrenal hypofunction: Causes
(Handbook of Diseases)

The following are causes of primary and secondary adrenal hypofunction and adrenal crisis.

Primary hypofunction

Addison’s disease occurs when more than 90% of both adrenal glands are destroyed. Such destruction usually results from an autoimmune process (autoimmune adrenalitis) in which circulating antibodies react specifically against the adrenal tissue.

CLINICAL TIP: Suspect adrenal insufficiency in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Although symptoms may not be present, testing frequently reveals abnormal results.

Other causes include tuberculosis (once the chief cause; now responsible for less than 10% of adult cases), bilateral adrenalectomy, hemorrhage into the adrenal gland, neoplasms, and infections (histoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus). Rarely, a family history of autoimmune disease predisposes the patient to Addison’s disease and other endocrinopathies.

Secondary hypofunction

Secondary hypofunction, which results in glucocorticoid deficiency, can stem from hypopituitarism (causing decreased corticotropin secretion), abrupt withdrawal of long-term corticosteroid therapy (long-term exogenous corticosteroid stimulation suppresses pituitary corticotropin secretion and results in adrenal gland atrophy), or the removal of a corticotropin-secreting tumor.

Adrenal crisis

After trauma, surgery, or other physiologic stress, adrenal crisis exhausts the body’s stores of glucocorticoids in a person with adrenal hypofunction.

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Addison's Disease as a complication of other conditions:

Other conditions that might have Addison's Disease as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Addison's Disease. Our database lists the following as having Addison's Disease as a complication of that condition:

• Tuberculosis

Addison's Disease as a symptom:

Conditions listing Addison's Disease as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Addison's Disease. Our database lists the following as having Addison's Disease as a symptom of that condition:

• Chromosome 13 ring syndrome
• Pena Shokeir syndrome, type 1
• Polyendocrine deficiency syndrome type 1
• Polyendocrine deficiency syndrome type 2
• Triploid syndrome

Medications or substances causing Addison's Disease:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Addison's Disease as a symptom. This list is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Glucocorticoid hormone - adrenal insufficiency can occur on stopping medication.
  • Prednisone

Read more about medication causes of Addison's Disease

What causes Addison's Disease?

Causes: Addison's Disease: Failure of adrenal glands to produce cortisol and sometimes aldosterone.
Failure to produce adequate levels of cortisol, or adrenal insufficiency, can occur for different reasons. The problem may be due to a disorder of the adrenal glands themselves (primary adrenal insufficiency) or to inadequate secretion of ACTH by the pituitary gland (secondary adrenal insufficiency). (Source: excerpt from Addison's Disease: NIDDK)

Cause statistics for Addison's Disease:

The following are statistics from various sources about the causes of Addison's Disease:

• 70% of reported cases of Addison’s disease are caused by autoimmune disorders in the US (NIDDK, NIH, 2002)

Related information on causes of Addison's Disease:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Addison's Disease may be found in:

• Risk factors for Addison's Disease
• Medications that may cause Addison's Disease
• Hidden causes of Addison's Disease