| adrenal gland hypofunction | Adrenocortical hypofunction includes all conditions in which adrenal steroid hormone secretion falls below the requirements of the body. Adrenal insufficiency may be divided into two general categories: (1) those associated with primary inability of the adrenal to elaborate sufficient quantities of hormone and (2) those associated with a secondary failure due to a primary failure in the elaboration of adrenocorticotropin. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| hypofunction | Reduced, low, or inadequate function. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute adrenocortical insufficiency | Severe adrenocortical insufficiency when an intercurrent illness or trauma causes an increased demand for adrenocortical hormones in a patient with adrenal insufficiency due to disease or use of relatively large amounts of similar hormones as therapy; characterised by nausea, vomiting, hypotension, and frequently hyperthemia, hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia, and hypoglycaemia; can be fatal if untreated. Synonym: addisonian crisis, adrenal crisis, Bernard-Sergent syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenocortical | Pertaining to suprarenal cortex. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenocortical adenoma | <tumour> A benign tumour of adrenal cortical cells; small unencapuslated nodules of adrenal cortex are probably localised areas of hyperplasia rather than adenoma's; true adenoma's are rare and may be symptomless or associated with Cushing's syndrome or primary aldosteronism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenocortical hormones | Hormone's secreted by the human adrenal cortex; e.g., cortisol, aldosterone, corticosterone. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adrenocortical insufficiency | Loss, to varying degrees, of adrenocortical function. Synonym: hypocorticoidism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| partial adrenocortical insufficiency | Normal basal adrenocortical function with failure of adrenocortical reserve to respond to ACTH stimulation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chronic adrenocortical insufficiency | Adrenocortical insufficiency usually as the result of idiopathic atrophy or destruction of both adrenal glands by tuberculosis, an autoimmune process, or other diseases; characterised by fatigue, decreased blood pressure, weight loss, increased melanin pigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes, anorexia, and nausea or vomiting; without appropriate replacement therapy, it can progress to acute adrenocortical insufficiency. Synonym: Addison's disease, addisonian syndrome, hyposupradrenalism, morbus Addisonii. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary adrenocortical insufficiency | Adrenocortical insufficiency caused by disease, destruction, or surgical removal of the adrenal cortices. (05 Mar 2000) |
| secondary adrenocortical insufficiency | Adrenocortical insufficiency caused by failure of ACTH secretion resulting from anterior pituitary disease or inhibition of ACTH production resulting from exogenous steroid therapy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| latent adrenocortical insufficiency | Adrenocortical insufficiency not clinically evident but which can become severe if a sudden stress, such as an intercurrent acute illness, develops. (05 Mar 2000) |