Cardiac tamponade preceding adrenal insufficiency ‐ an unusual presentation of Addisons's disease: a report of two cases.

Abstract

Abstract. Torfoss D, von der Lippe E, Jacobsen D (Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway). Cardiac tamponade preceding adrenal insdciency ‐ an unusual presentation of Addison's disease: a report of two cases (Case report). Two cases of young healthy males presenting with cardiac tamponade and developing clinical adrenal insufficiency within a few weeks are described. On presentation they had a brisk inflammatory response with complement activation. Both had signs of subclinical hepatitis, and both have later shown evidence of thyroid involvement. The possibility of a connection between pericarditis and adrenal insdciency is discussed.