Patients presenting with Addison's disease need not be pigmented.
Three consecutive cases of Addison's disease without increased pigmentation are described. We suggest that the absence of this important physical sign contributed to serious delays in diagnosis and markedly increased morbidity. We emphasize that, despite the usual textbook description, excess pigmentation is not necessarily a feature of Addison's disease.
D000224:Addison Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010859:Pigmentation Disorders / Q000209:etiology*