Medical Emergencies · single question
A patient presents with fatigue, hypotension, salt craving, and diffuse bronze hyperpigmentation of the skin and oral mucosa. The diagnosis is:
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Correct answer: A. Addison disease (primary adrenal insufficiency)
- A. Correct. Primary adrenal insufficiency (Addison disease) causes low cortisol → elevated ACTH/MSH precursor → diffuse mucocutaneous hyperpigmentation, plus fatigue, hypotension, and salt craving.
- B. Cushing syndrome (cortisol excess) causes weight gain, moon facies, and hypertension — the opposite picture.
- C. Hyperthyroidism causes weight loss and heat intolerance, not bronze pigmentation.
- D. Peutz-Jeghers causes discrete perioral macules and GI polyps, not diffuse pigmentation with hypotension.
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