A Case of Adrenal Tuberculosis with Atypical Clinical Manifestation

Article information

Kosin Med J. 2013;28(2):183-186
Publication date (electronic) : 2013 January 19
doi : https://doi.org/10.7180/kmj.2013.28.2.183
1Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Korea
2Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Kosin University, Busan, Korea
Corresponding author: Eui Dal Jung, Department of internal Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, 33 gil 17 Duryugongwon-ro, Nam-gu, Daegu, 705-718, Korea TEL: +82-53-650-4026 FAX: +82-53-651-4009 E-mail: jed15@cu.ac.kr
Received 2012 October 04; 2012 October 26; Accepted 2012 October 26.

Abstract

Addison’s disease is a rare disorder that causes fatigue, genral weakness, weight loss, pigmentation due to adrenal hypofunction and it’s underlying causes are various. We report a case of 42-year-old man with fatigue, generalized cutaneous pigmentation. Computed tomography showed bilateral adrenal enlargement, but no calcification. Adrenal tuberculosis was established by ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy.

Fig. 1.

Dynamic adrenal gland computed tomography. Both adrenal gland show nodular hyperplasia and enlargement. (A) pre-enhance phase, (B) arterial phase.

Fig. 2.

Skin punch biopsy. The melanocytes are mildly increased in number (HE stain, × 400).

Fig. 3.

Adrenal gland, Fine needle aspiration biopsy. There is a caseation necrosis which is suspicious of tuberculosis (HE stain, × 400).

References

1. Choi DY, Kim HS, Lee CK, Lim BS, Jung SJ, Tae CH. A case report of Addison's disease. Korean J Med 1968;11:455–60.
2. Park WY, Kee CS, Cho SK, Choi YK. A case report of Addison's disease. Korean J Med 1971;14-3:63–7.
3. Oelkers W. Adrenal insufficiency. N Engl J Med 1996;335:1206–12.
4. Sung SK, Kwon YJ, Lee BW, Kim DM, Yoo HJ. Clinical Review of Addison's Disease in Korea Previously Reported 14 Cases in Korea and 6 New Cases at National Medical Center. J Korean Soc Endocrinol 1987;2:189–93.
5. Ja Young Lee, Jee Hee Kim, Dong Joon Lim, Sung Dae Moon, Je Ho Han. A case of Addison's disease due to tuberculosis: pathologic confirmation by laparoscopic biopsy. Korean J Med 2008;75:704–8.
6. Kim JY, Jeon HC, Kim KY, Cha SE, Cha SE, Choi HS, et al. A case of Addison's disease due to tuberculosis: Pathological confirmation by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. J Korean Soc Endocrinol 1995;10:306–10.
7. Schultz CL. CT and MR of the adrenal glands. Seminars in ultrasound CT and MRI 1986;7:219–33.
8. Lam KY, Lo CY. A critical examination of adrenal tuberculosis and a 28-year autopsy experience of active tuberculosis. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2001;54:633–9.
9. Post FA, Soule SG, Willcox PA, Levitt NS. The spectrum of endocrine dysfunction in active pulmonary tuberculosis. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1994;40:367–71.
10. Vita JA, Silverberg SJ, Goland RS, Austin JHM, Knowlton AI. Clinical clues to the cause of Addison's disease. Am J Med 1985;78:461–6.

Article information Continued

Fig. 1.

Dynamic adrenal gland computed tomography. Both adrenal gland show nodular hyperplasia and enlargement. (A) pre-enhance phase, (B) arterial phase.

Fig. 2.

Skin punch biopsy. The melanocytes are mildly increased in number (HE stain, × 400).

Fig. 3.

Adrenal gland, Fine needle aspiration biopsy. There is a caseation necrosis which is suspicious of tuberculosis (HE stain, × 400).