A clinical and immunological study of adrenocortical insufficiency (Addison's disease).

Abstract

Fifty-one patients with adrenocortical insufficiency were subdivided into three groups according to the nature of their adrenal disease; twelve patients with idiopathic, twenty-three patients with probable idiopathic and sixteen patients with tuberculous adrenal insufficiency. The importance of objective confirmation of a clinical diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency is stressed and the difficulties of classification of many patients with adult onset adrenal insufficiency are discussed. Idiopathic and probable idiopathic adrenal insufficiency had a sex ratio that was predominantly female (2·5:1) with a mean age of onset of 33 years.