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Table 29-5

Differential Diagnosis of Adrenal Insufficiency

Primary adrenal insufficiencyCentral adrenal insufficiency
  • Hemorrhagic infarction

    • Sepsis

    • Adrenal vein thrombosis

    • Anticoagulation

    • Coagulopathy

    • Thrombocytopenia

    • Hypercoagulable state

    • Trauma

    • Postoperative

    • Severe stress

  • Cancer metastasis/lymphoma

  • Autoimmune

    • Addison disease

    • Polyglandular autoimmune syndromes I and II

  • Infectious process

    • Disseminated fungal infections (histoplasmosis)

    • Tuberculosis

    • HIV (CMV, MAC, cryptococcus)

  • Infiltrative process

  • Iatrogenic

  • Iatrogenic

  • Tumor or other mass lesion

    • Pituitary adenoma

    • Metastasis

    • Lymphoma

    • Primary tumor of brain or meninges

    • Rathke cleft cyst

    • Empty sella

  • Pituitary apoplexy

    • Sheehan syndrome (postpartum hemorrhage)

  • Infiltrative process

    • Hemochromatosis

    • Histiocytosis

    • Tuberculosis

CMV, cytomegalovirus; MAC, mycobacterium avium complex.