Adrenal atrophy physical examination

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

Overview

In the physical examination the patients may have hypotension, hyperpigmentation, depigmentation in autoimmune cases.

In the physical examination the patients may have:

Hypotension, mainly with postural dizziness or syncope.
Hyperpigmentation, which is evident in nearly all patients with primary adrenal insufficiency, is the most characteristic physical finding.
Patchy, often bilaterally symmetrical areas of depigmented skin (vitiligo), the result of autoimmune destruction of dermal melanocytes, occur on the trunk or extremities in 10 to 20 percent of patients with autoimmune but not those with other causes of adrenal atrophy.^[1]

↑ Husebye ES, Perheentupa J, Rautemaa R, Kämpe O (May 2009). “Clinical manifestations and management of patients with autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type I”. J Intern Med. 265 (5): 514–29. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2796.2009.02090.x. PMID 19382991.