Addison's Disease Secondary to Carcinoma of the Breast
Authors: DAVID H. ALPERS
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1962)

Case Studies1 September 1962Addison's Disease Secondary to Carcinoma of the BreastDAVID H. ALPERS, M.D., KARL ENGELMAN, M.D., F. DANIEL FOLEY, M.D.DAVID H. ALPERS, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, KARL ENGELMAN, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, F. DANIEL FOLEY, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-57-3-464 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptAdrenal hypocorticism as the result of metastatic carcinoma occurs rarely. Thomas Addison included 4 such cases in his original report (1) of the syndrome now bearing his name. Of these 4 cases, only one had bilateral adrenal involvement, a 60-year-old woman with carcinoma of the breast. In the years since Addison's report, there have been a few dozen similar cases recorded, but none of them has been well documented by laboratory and pathological findings. The following case is reported because it includes just such documentation.CASE REPORTAn 80-year-old childless housewife entered the hospital October 11, 1960, because of weakness...References1. ADDISON T: On the Constitutional and Local Effects of Disease of the Suprarenal Capsules, S. Highley, London, 1855, reprinted in Med. Classics 2: 244, 1937. Google Scholar2. THORNJENKINSLAIDLOW GWDJC: Adrenal response to stress in man, in Recent Progress in Hormone Research, Vol. VIII, Academic Press, New York, 1953, p. 171. Google Scholar3. GLOMSETT DA: The incidence of metastasis of malignant tumors to the adrenal. Amer. J. Cancer 32: 57, 1938. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. SAHAGIAN-EDWARDSHOLLAND AJF: Metastatic carcinoma to the adrenal glands with cortical hypofunction. Cancer 7: 1242, 1954. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. WILLIS RA: The Spread of Tumors in the Human Body, 2d Ed., The C. V. Mosby Company, St. Louis, 1952. Google Scholar6. GUTTMAN PH: Addison's disease: a statistical analysis of 566 cases and a study of the pathology. Arch. Path. 10: 742, 895, 1930. Google Scholar7. GALLOWAYPERLOFF JAWH: Addison's disease secondary to adrenocortical destruction by metastatic carcinoma of the breast. Amer. J. Med. 28: 156, 1960. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. REICHE F: Primares Trachea-carcinoma, Metastase in der linken nebenniere Melasma suprarenale. Zbl. Allg. Path. Anat. 4: 1, 1893. Google Scholar9. PRISER F: Uber normoglykannische Glycosurie bei gleichzeitigen Pankreas-Nieren, und Niebennierenschädigung durch Karzinom. Deutsch. Arch. Klin. Med. 168: 203, 1930. Google Scholar10. BUTTERLYFISHMANSECKLERSTEINBERG JMLJH: Addison's disease secondary to metastatic carcinoma to the adrenal glands. Ann. Intern. Med. 37: 930, 1952. LinkGoogle Scholar11. POYNTONWRIGHTLAURENT FJGPLP: Clinical symptoms of Addison's disease occurring in the course of pulmonary carcinoma. Lancet 1: 740, 1933. CrossrefGoogle Scholar12. MADEHEIM H: Uber seltene Organcarcinosen bei Magerkrebs. Frankfurt. Z. Path. 55: 447, 1941. Google Scholar13. RIBAUDO CA: Addison's disease and diabetes insipidus. Ann. Intern. Med. 102: 478, 1958. CrossrefGoogle Scholar14. LEARYMASTERS OCJJ: Adrenal insufficiency produced by metastases from gastric carcinoma. Ann. Intern. Med. 46: 1161, 1957. LinkGoogle Scholar15. BANNWARD A: Zur Pathogenese der Morbu Addisonii, Zerstörung des Nebennieremarks und des Grenzstranges durch ein Lymphangioendothelioma Peritonei Metistaticum. Frankfurt. Z. Path. 26: 307, 1921. Google Scholar16. BAYLISSSTEINBECK RIAW: Adrenal response to corticotrophin. Brit. Med. J. 1: 486, 1954. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar17. MACFARLANELEMANMUNSONHARRISON DACBPLJH: Effect of ACTH administration on urinary excretion of androgens and other steroids by old men in comparison with young men. J. Urol. 75: 558, 1956. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar18. IANNRUBERTOMARONI MP: Urinary excretion of 17-hydroxysteroids in patients with carcinoma of the breast before and after ACTH stimulation. Arch. Obstet. Gynec. 64: 752, 1959. Google Scholar19. WELLS HG: Addison's disease with selective destruction of the adrenal cortex. Arch. Path. 10: 499, 1930. Google Scholar20. DUFFIN JD: Cortical necrosis of the adrenal glands associated with Addison's disease. Arch. Path. 35: 649, 1943. Google Scholar21. STRAUB H: Akuter Morbus Addisonii nach Thrombose beider Nebennierenvenen. Deutsch. Arch. Klin. Med. 97: 67, 1909. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Boston, MassachusettsFrom the Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital, and the James Homer Wright Pathology Laboratories, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.Requests for reprints should be addressed to David H. Alpers, M.D., Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda 14, Maryland. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byAn unusual cause of syncopeAddison’s DiseaseProspective evaluation of adrenal insufficiency in patients with adrenal metastasisMetastatic Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder Causing Addison’S DiseaseAddison's disease secondary to lymphomatous infiltration of the adrenal glands recovery of adrenocortical function after chemotherapyAddison's disease due to metastases to the adrenal glands.Metastases to the adrenal glands and the development of Addison's diseaseAdrenal insufficiency secondary to carcinoma metastatic to the adrenal glandRenal Cell Carcinoma Causing a Selective Mineralocorticoid InsufficiencyAdrenal failure associated with hypothalamic and adrenal metastases: A case report and review of the literatureAddison's disease secondary to metastatic carcinoma: An example of adrenocortical and adrenomedullary insufficiencyAddison's disease secondary to occult metastatic seminoma:Infarction of the adrenals as the probable mechanism of their destruction 1 September 1962Volume 57, Issue 3Page: 464-467KeywordsAdenocarcinomaAdrenocorticotropic hormoneAttentionHospital medicineHypotensionNauseaPathology and laboratory medicine Issue Published: 1 September 1962 PDF downloadLoading ...