Cutaneous manifestations of endocrine disorders: a guide for dermatologists. 2003

Serge A Jabbour
Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA. serge.jabbour@mail.tju.edu

Dermatologists may commonly see skin lesions that reflect an underlying endocrine disorder. Identifying the endocrinopathy is very important, so that patients can receive corrective rather than symptomatic treatment. Skin diseases with underlying endocrine pathology include: thyrotoxicosis; hypothyroidism; Cushing syndrome; Addison disease; acromegaly; hyperandrogenism; hypopituitarism; primary hyperparathyroidism; hypoparathyroidism; pseudohypoparathyroidism and manifestations of diabetes mellitus. Thyrotoxicosis may lead to multiple cutaneous manifestations, including hair loss, pretibial myxedema, onycholysis and acropachy. In patients with hypothyroidism, there is hair loss, the skin is cold and pale, with myxedematous changes, mainly in the hands and in the periorbital region. The striking features of Cushing syndrome are centripetal obesity, moon facies, buffalo hump, supraclavicular fat pads, and abdominal striae. In Addison disease, the skin is hyperpigmented, mostly on the face, neck and back of the hands. Virtually all patients with acromegaly have acral and soft tissue overgrowth, with characteristic findings, like macrognathia and enlarged hands and feet. The skin is thickened, and facial features are coarser. Conditions leading to hyperandrogenism in females present as acne, hirsutism and signs of virilization (temporal balding, clitoromegaly).A prominent feature of hypopituitarism is a pallor of the skin with a yellowish tinge. The skin is also thinner, resulting in fine wrinkling around the eyes and mouth, making the patient look older. Primary hyperparathyroidism is rarely associated with pruritus and chronic urticaria. In hypoparathyroidism, the skin is dry, scaly and puffy. Nails become brittle and hair is coarse and sparse. Pseudohypoparathyroidism may have a special somatic phenotype known as Albright osteodystrophy. This consists of short stature, short neck, brachydactyly and subcutaneous calcifications. Some of the cutaneous manifestations of diabetes mellitus include necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, diabetic dermopathy, scleredema adultorum and acanthosis nigricans.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006961 Hyperparathyroidism A condition of abnormally elevated output of PARATHYROID HORMONE (or PTH) triggering responses that increase blood CALCIUM. It is characterized by HYPERCALCEMIA and BONE RESORPTION, eventually leading to bone diseases. PRIMARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM is caused by parathyroid HYPERPLASIA or PARATHYROID NEOPLASMS. SECONDARY HYPERPARATHYROIDISM is increased PTH secretion in response to HYPOCALCEMIA, usually caused by chronic KIDNEY DISEASES.
D007018 Hypopituitarism Diminution or cessation of secretion of one or more hormones from the anterior pituitary gland (including LH; FOLLICLE STIMULATING HORMONE; SOMATOTROPIN; and CORTICOTROPIN). This may result from surgical or radiation ablation, non-secretory PITUITARY NEOPLASMS, metastatic tumors, infarction, PITUITARY APOPLEXY, infiltrative or granulomatous processes, and other conditions. Adenohypophyseal Hyposecretion,Anterior Pituitary Hyposecretion Syndrome,Sheehan Syndrome,Simmonds Disease,Hyposecretion Syndrome, Anterior Pituitary,Hyposecretion, Adenohypophyseal,Pituitary Insufficiency,Postpartum Hypopituitarism,Postpartum Panhypopituitarism,Postpartum Pituitary Insufficiency,Sheehan's Syndrome,Simmonds' Disease,Disease, Simmonds,Hypopituitarism, Postpartum,Insufficiency, Pituitary,Panhypopituitarism, Postpartum,Pituitary Insufficiency, Postpartum,Sheehans Syndrome,Simmond's Disease,Syndrome, Sheehan,Syndrome, Sheehan's
D007037 Hypothyroidism A syndrome that results from abnormally low secretion of THYROID HORMONES from the THYROID GLAND, leading to a decrease in BASAL METABOLIC RATE. In its most severe form, there is accumulation of MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDES in the SKIN and EDEMA, known as MYXEDEMA. It may be primary or secondary due to other pituitary disease, or hypothalamic dysfunction. Central Hypothyroidism,Primary Hypothyroidism,Secondary Hypothyroidism,TSH Deficiency,Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Deficiency,Central Hypothyroidisms,Deficiency, TSH,Deficiency, Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone,Hormone Deficiency, Thyroid-Stimulating,Hypothyroidism, Central,Hypothyroidism, Primary,Hypothyroidism, Secondary,Hypothyroidisms,Primary Hypothyroidisms,Secondary Hypothyroidisms,TSH Deficiencies,Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Deficiency,Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Deficiencies
D003480 Cushing Syndrome A condition caused by prolonged exposure to excess levels of cortisol (HYDROCORTISONE) or other GLUCOCORTICOIDS from endogenous or exogenous sources. It is characterized by upper body OBESITY; OSTEOPOROSIS; HYPERTENSION; DIABETES MELLITUS; HIRSUTISM; AMENORRHEA; and excess body fluid. Endogenous Cushing syndrome or spontaneous hypercortisolism is divided into two groups, those due to an excess of ADRENOCORTICOTROPIN and those that are ACTH-independent. Cushing's Syndrome,Hypercortisolism,Syndrome, Cushing,Syndrome, Cushing's
D003880 Dermatology A medical specialty concerned with the skin, its structure, functions, diseases, and treatment.
D004700 Endocrine System Diseases Pathological processes of the ENDOCRINE GLANDS, and diseases resulting from abnormal level of available HORMONES. Endocrine Diseases,Diseases of Endocrine System,Disease, Endocrine,Disease, Endocrine System,Diseases, Endocrine,Diseases, Endocrine System,Endocrine Disease,Endocrine System Disease,System Disease, Endocrine,System Diseases, Endocrine
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000172 Acromegaly A condition caused by prolonged exposure to excessive HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE in adults. It is characterized by bony enlargement of the FACE; lower jaw (PROGNATHISM); hands; FEET; HEAD; and THORAX. The most common etiology is a GROWTH HORMONE-SECRETING PITUITARY ADENOMA. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1992, Ch36, pp79-80) Inappropriate Growth Hormone Secretion Syndrome (Acromegaly),Somatotropin Hypersecretion Syndrome (Acromegaly),Inappropriate GH Secretion Syndrome (Acromegaly),Hypersecretion Syndrome, Somatotropin (Acromegaly),Hypersecretion Syndromes, Somatotropin (Acromegaly),Somatotropin Hypersecretion Syndromes (Acromegaly),Syndrome, Somatotropin Hypersecretion (Acromegaly),Syndromes, Somatotropin Hypersecretion (Acromegaly)
D000224 Addison Disease An adrenal disease characterized by the progressive destruction of the ADRENAL CORTEX, resulting in insufficient production of ALDOSTERONE and HYDROCORTISONE. Clinical symptoms include ANOREXIA; NAUSEA; WEIGHT LOSS; MUSCLE WEAKNESS; and HYPERPIGMENTATION of the SKIN due to increase in circulating levels of ACTH precursor hormone which stimulates MELANOCYTES. Addison's Disease,Primary Adrenal Insufficiency,Primary Adrenocortical Insufficiency,Primary Hypoadrenalism,Addisons Disease,Adrenal Insufficiency, Primary,Adrenocortical Insufficiencies, Primary,Adrenocortical Insufficiency, Primary,Disease, Addison,Hypoadrenalism, Primary,Hypoadrenalisms, Primary,Insufficiencies, Primary Adrenocortical,Insufficiency, Primary Adrenocortical,Primary Adrenocortical Insufficiencies
D012871 Skin Diseases Diseases involving the DERMIS or EPIDERMIS. Dermatoses,Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders,Dermatosis,Skin Disease

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