Adrenal insufficiency

What it means

Insufficient production of steroid hormones (primarily cortisol) by the adrenal glands.

Adrenal insufficiency may cause persistent vomiting, anorexia, hypoglycemia, poor weight gain in a child, or unexplained weight loss in an adult, malaise, fatigue, muscular weakness, unexplained isotonic or hyponatremic dehydration, hyperkalemia, hypotension, hypoglycemia and especially generalized hyperpigmentation.

Rare diseases that can present with this19

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Hypoadrenalism