Addison’s disease in patients with autoimmune primary ovarian insufficiency: a concise guide for gynecologists and obstetricians

Addison's disease (AD) is a rare condition, but its prevalence in Europe has been steadily rising. Its initial presentation might be a life-threatening event termed adrenal crisis (AC), which is particularly likely to happen during situations of increased biological stress, such as septic illness, general anesthesia, surgery, or trauma. AD can appear as an isolated clinical entity or together with other autoimmune conditions, such as autoimmune thyroiditis, pernicious anemia, or autoimmune primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). In this review, we underline the relationship between AD and POI with a special regard for patients with POI who might develop AD. Due to the nonspecific symptoms of AD, patients often consult multiple specialists before receiving a proper diagnosis, which delays the recognition of AD Ordering basic screening tests might facilitate an early detection of AD and prevent possibly fatal complications of the disease.