An early diagnosis of Addison’s disease is difficult. Detail all symptoms, current medications, vitamin supplements, and any problems or stress you are experiencing. If you have primary adrenal insufficiency, you undergo abdominal x-rays to detect calcium deposits.
Diagnostic Tests and Procedures for Addison’s Disease
New York (USA), June 27, 2013
An early diagnosis of Addison’s disease is difficult. Detail all symptoms, current medications and vitamin supplements, and any specific problems or stress you are experiencing. This will help doctor diagnose your situation correctly. Initially, your doctor would suspect Addison’s disease mainly due to darkening of skin. After analyzing existing symptoms, your doctor would suggest few tests to confirm diagnosis.
Addison’s Disease: Diagnostic Tests and Procedures
ACTH Stimulation Test (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Stimulation Test): This is the most accurate test to diagnose Addison’s disease. Your blood and urine cortisol levels are measured before and after synthetic ACTH injection. Your blood and urine cortisol levels are checked repeatedly after half-an-hour and one hour of ACTH injection. This is short or rapid ACTH test. If your response is poor or nil, you have adrenal insufficiency.
CRH Stimulation Test (Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone Stimulation Test): If you test positive in short ACTH test, you have to undergo long CRH test to detect cause for adrenal insufficiency. Your blood cortisol level is measured. Thereafter synthetic CRH or corticotrophin is injected intravenously. Blood cortisol levels are checked after thirty, sixty, ninety, and 120 minutes.
If you suffer from primary adrenalin insufficiency, you have high ACTH levels but do not produce any cortisol. If you suffer secondary adrenal insufficiency, your cortisol responses are deficient and ACTH responses either are absent or delayed. Pituitary gland is the cause if ACTH response is absent and hypothalamus is the cause if ACTH response is delayed.
Other Tests
If you have primary adrenal insufficiency, you undergo abdominal x-rays to detect calcium deposits. Such deposits indicate TB. If you have secondary adrenal insufficiency, you undergo CT scan to detect size and shape of pituitary gland. Ability of pituitary gland to produce hormones is also checked.
Addisonian Crisis
If your doctor suspects Addisonian crisis, you are immediately administered fluid, salt, and glucocorticoid hormone injections to control your medical situation. Blood ACTH and cortisol levels are measured before and after administering glucocorticoids. Doctor controls your Addisonian crisis through further medications. After a month, you undergo detailed testing for accurate diagnosis of Addison’s disease.
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