Addison's disease
/ˈadɪs(ə)nzdɪziːz
/noun [mass noun]
A disease characterized by progressive anaemia, low blood pressure, great weakness, and bronze discoloration of the skin. It is caused by inadequate secretion of hormones by the adrenal cortex.Patients with hypothyroidism may have other autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, Addison's disease, or pernicious anaemia....
- Relative, rather than absolute, leukocytosis occurs in a number of clinical situations, such as infancy, viral infections, connective tissue diseases, thyrotoxicosis and Addison's disease.
- In people with Addison's disease, the adrenal cortex is destroyed, leading to a deficiency or absence of the hormones it produces.
Origin
Mid 19th century: named after Thomas Addison (1793–1860), the English physician who described the disease.