CARBOHYDRATE METABOLISM IN THE COMBINATION OF DIABETES MELLITUS AND ADDISON'S DISEASE, AS ILLUSTRATED BY A CASE

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
SIMULTANEOUS occurrence of Addison's disease and diabetes mellitus is rarely observed. It is surprising that this is only the nineteenth report of a proven occurrence of these two diseases in the same patient, when 28.4 per cent of patients with diabetes mellitus also have active tuberculosis (1). We have combined those cases summarized by Thorn and Clinton in 1943 (2) with the subsequent case reports in Tables 1, 2, and 3. In both Addison's disease and diabetes mellitus there are marked aberrations in carbohydrate metabolism. A better understanding of these diversions in the individual disease and realization of the characteristic pattern of their summation should lead to premortem diagnosis of adrenocortical insufficiency in a greater number of diabetic patients. To clarify this pattern, a synthesis is presented to illustrate the various abnormalities in carbohydrate and related metabolism. Special emphasis is placed on the biochemical and clinical modifications appearing in each disease.