The Importance of Computed Tomography Findings in Detecting Tuberculous Addison's Disease

Abstract

UNLABELLED Addison's disease is an endocrine disorder characterized by primary adrenal insufficiency due to various causes. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was a major cause in the past but is rare nowadays. We describe a patient admitted to our hospital who was diagnosed with tuberculous Addison's disease. LEARNING POINTS Tuberculosis is a rare cause of Addison's disease in developed countries and so diagnosis is a clinical challenge and requires a high index of suspicion.Tuberculosis should always be considered as a cause of Addison's disease since treating active tuberculosis with steroids alone may have serious consequences.Computed tomography findings can be very helpful in the diagnosis of tuberculous Addison's disease.