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Adrenalitis

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Pathology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Pathology ((EP))

  • 35 Accesses

Definition

Inflammation of the adrenal glands resulting from autoimmunopathies or infections leads to adrenal insufficiency (Addison disease).

Clinical Features

Autoimmune adrenalitis is responsible for approximately 75% of inflammatory conditions affecting the adrenal glands. It is isolated in 40% of cases and is part of an autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome in the remaining 60%. In the past decades, tuberculosis used to be the most common cause of hypocorticalism associated with Addison disease; however, tuberculous adrenalitis is still prevalent in countries where tuberculosis is endemic. Other pathogens such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as well as fungi and bacteria may be encountered (Lloyd et al. 2002). Clinical features of adrenocortical insufficiency become apparent only after 90% of the adrenal gland is destroyed. Signs and symptoms, either acute or chronic, include fatigue, anorexia, vomiting, weight loss, malaise, postural hypotension,...

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References and Further Reading

  • Arlt, W., & Allolio, B. (2003). Adrenal insufficiency. Lancet, 361, 1881–1893.

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  • Hellesen, A., Bratland, E., & Husebye, E. S. (2018). Autoimmune Addison’s disease. An update on pathogenesis. Annales d’Endocrinologie, 79, 157–163.

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  • Lam, K. Y., & Lo, C. Y. (2001). A critical examination of adrenal tuberculosis and a 28-year autopsy experience of active tuberculosis. Clinical Endrocrinology, 54, 633–639.

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  • Lloyd R.V., Douglas B. R., & Young W. F. Jr. (2002). Adrenal gland. Endocrine diseases. Atlas of nontumor pathology (Fascicle 1, series 1). Washington, DC: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.

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  • Paolo, W. F., Jr., & Nosanchuk, J. D. (2006). Adrenal infections. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 10, 343–353.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pathological Anatomy Section, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Gioia Di Stefano, Ilaria Camilla Galli & Gabriella Nesi

  2. Pathological Anatomy Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy

    Raffaella Santi

Authors
  1. Gioia Di Stefano
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  2. Ilaria Camilla Galli
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  3. Raffaella Santi
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  4. Gabriella Nesi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabriella Nesi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. NIJMEGEN, The Netherlands

    J.H.J.M. van Krieken

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Di Stefano, G., Galli, I.C., Santi, R., Nesi, G. (2020). Adrenalitis. In: van Krieken, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5235-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28845-1_5235-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28845-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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