Secondary adrenal deficiency takes place when the pituitary gland fails to manufacture adequate adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), a hormone that rouses the adrenal glands to produce cortisol. If ACTH production is too low, cortisol production decreases. Ultimately, the adrenal glands can get smaller due to lack of ACTH stimulation. Secondary adrenal deficiency is much more widespread than Addison's disease (Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's disease, 2009).
If a doctor thinks that one may have Addison's disease, they may go through some of the following tests:
Blood test - assessing ones blood levels of sodium, potassium, cortisol and ACTH. This gives the physician a preliminary indication of whether adrenal deficiency may be causing the signs and indications. A blood test can also gauge antibodies connected with autoimmune Addison's disease.
ACTH stimulation test - this test entails gauging the level of cortisol in the blood previous to and following an injection of synthetic ACTH. ACTH signals the adrenal glands to manufacture cortisol. If the adrenal glands are injured, the ACTH stimulation test illustrates that the output of cortisol in reply to synthetic ACTH is limited or absent.
Insulin-induced hypoglycemia test -- from time to time, physicians propose this test if pituitary disease is a probable cause of adrenal deficiency. The test entails inspecting ones blood sugar and cortisol levels at a variety of periods following an injection of insulin.
Imaging tests - the physician may have one undergo a computerized tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen to check the dimension of the adrenal glands and look for other irregularities that might give insight to the cause of the adrenal deficiency. The physician may in addition suggest a MRI scan of the pituitary gland if testing points toward a secondary adrenal deficiency (Addison's disease, 2011).
The endocrine system has many very important...
It controls a lot of things that people take for granted on a daily basis. There are many things that can go wrong with the endocrine system that cause people many problems. Some of these disorders, like Addison's disease, can be treated with medication, while others, like Dwarfism and Gigantism cannot. It is very important that a child growing up see a pediatrician on a regular basis while growing up so that any issues that might occur can be diagnosed and cared for right away.
References
Addison's disease. (2010). Retrieved from http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/hormone/910.html
Addison's disease. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/addisons-disease/DS00361/DSECTION=tests-and-diagnosis
Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's Disease. (2009). Retrieved from http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/addison/addison.htm
Anatomy of the Endocrine System. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/anatomy_of_the_endocrine_system/article_em.htm
Dwarfism. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dwarfism/DS01012
Dwarfism. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/dwarfism/DS01012.html
Endocrine Diseases. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocrinediseases.html
Endocrine System. (2011). Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/endocrine.html#
Endocrine System. (2004). Retreived from http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/endocrin.htm
Gigantism -- Overview. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.umm.edu/ency/article/001174.htm
Gigantism. (2011). Retrieved from http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/gigantism/overview.html
Understanding Addison's Disease -- the Basics. (2011). Retreived from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-addisons-disease-basics
