In medicine, adrenal insufficiency (or "hypocortisolism") is the inability of the adrenal gland to produce adequate amounts of cortisol in response to stress. See also: Adrenal Fatigue or Hypoadrenia.

Causes can include:

• Acute adrenal insufficiency
  • Addison's disease (autoimmune adrenalitis)
  • Septic shock
  • Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome
  • Addisonian crisis in case of:
    • Discontinuing corticosteroid therapy without tapering the dosage
    • Surgery, illness or any other form of stress in patients with long-term corticosteroid therapy
• Chronic adrenal insufficiency
  • Addison's disease
  • congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  • antiphospholipid syndrome
  • haemochromatosis

See also

• Cushing's syndrome

External links

• eMedicine
• Penn State

Endocrinology | Insuffisance surrénalienne