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Table 1 Main causes of primary adrenal failure

From: Acute adrenal failure as the presenting feature of primary antiphospholipid syndrome in a child

Congenital

CAH

 

Congenital adrenal hypoplasia

 

ACTH resistance

 

Glucocorticoid resistance

 

Metabolic diseases (Adrenoleukodystrophy, Zellweger, Smith-Lemli-Opitz, Wolman disease)

Acquired

Autoimmune adrenalitis

 

- Isolated

 

- Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy

 

- syndrome type 1

 

- Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome type 2

 

Hemorrhage/infarction

 

- Trauma

 

- Waterhouse-Frederickson syndrome

 

- Anticoagulation

 

- Thrombosis (APS, Thrombophilia)

 

Drug effects (Aminoglutethimide, mitotane, ketoconazole, medroxyprogesterone)

 

Infection

 

- Viral: HIV, cytomegalovirus

 

- Fungal: coccidiomycosis, histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, cryptococcosis

 

- Mycobacterial: tuberculosis

 

- Amebic

 

Infiltrative (Hemochromatosis, histiocytosis, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, neoplasm)