Primary Adrenal Insufficiency (Addison's Disease) Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Rare Occurrence.
Coexistence of Addison's disease and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a rare occurrence with only few reported cases in the literature. We describe a 29-year-old woman who presented to us with clinical features of acute Addisonian crisis and SLE. Laboratory investigations were confirmatory of Addison's disease in a background of SLE. The patient made remarkable improvement on administration of steroids as replacement therapy for adrenal insufficiency and treatment of SLE. Clinicians need to have a high-index of suspicion of this possible coexistence in order to avoid the associated deleterious hemodynamic and metabolic consequences.
Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.
Okwuonu Chimezie
OC
Godswill
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin city, Nigeria.
Ojeh-Oziegbe
OO
Odigie
Addison's disease; adrenocorticotropic hormone; association; cortisol; systemic lupus erythematosis