Summary: | Symptoms of primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) are commonly nonspecific, causing the disease to be misdiagnosed or often delayed, and patients may present to the hospital with a life-threatening crisis. Previous case reports have documented that patients in this condition often require lifelong glucocorticoid replacement therapy. This study aimed to present a noteworthy outcome of PAI caused by adrenal tuberculosis infection, demonstrating complete recovery after six months of glucocorticoid replacement therapy. A 38-year-old Indonesian man presented to the endocrinology clinic in a tertiary hospital with a chief complaint of epigastric pain. The patient experienced nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, weight loss, excessive sweat, decreased appetite, weakness, and dizziness in the past 2 weeks. Laboratory examinations revealed hyponatremia, elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone, and suppressed morning plasma cortisol level. A non-contrast-enhanced abdominal MRI showed unilateral right-side adrenal enlargement and calcification. The patient’s Mantoux test was positive. Corticosteroids and anti-tuberculosis therapy were administered. After 6 months, hydrocortisone was discontinued due to the patient’s good clinical condition and normal morning plasma cortisol levels. After a 1-year follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic with normal cortisol levels. We hypothesized several reasons for this unique outcome: (i) the patient was relatively young compared to previous cases, suggesting an adequate immune system may play a role; (ii) despite a 1-month delay in diagnosis and treatment, the absence of skin hyperpigmentation suggested an acute presentation, potentially contributing to the favorable outcome; and (iii) the absence of comorbidities potentially positively impacted the patient's outcome.
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