Primary adrenal insufficiency due to bilateral adrenal hemorrhage-adrenal infarction in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome: case presentation and review of the literature

Primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) is a rare disease which represents the end stage of a destructive process involving the adrenal cortex. Occasionally it may be caused by bilateral adrenal hemorrhagic infarction in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). We herein report the challenging case of a 30-year-old female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and secondary APS who was admitted to the emergency department (ED) due to fever, lethargy, and syncopal episodes. Hyponatremia, hyperkalemia, hyperpigmentation, shock, altered mental status, and clinical response to glucocorticoid administration were features highly suggestive of an acute adrenal crisis. The patient’s clinical status required admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), where steroid replacement, anticoagulation, and supportive therapy were provided, with a good outcome. Imaging demonstrated bilateral adrenal enlargement attributed to recent adrenal hemorrhage. This case highlights the fact that bilateral adrenal vein thrombosis and subsequent hemorrhage can be part of the thromboembolic complications seen in both primary and secondary APS and which, if misdiagnosed, may lead to a life-threatening adrenal crisis. High clinical suspicion is required for its prompt diagnosis and management. A literature search of past clinical cases with adrenal insufficiency (AI) in the setting of APS and SLE was conducted using major electronic databases. Our aim was to retrieve information about the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of similar conditions.