Cardiac arrest secondary to Addison's disease

Abstract

A 33-year-old man with a history of progressive weight loss, weakness, and darkened skin color collapsed in cardiorespiratory arrest. His down time, with CPR, was more than 60 minutes, with 20 minutes of documented asystole. He was resuscitated, with global neurological deficits that eventually cleared following aggressive rehabilitation therapy. The diagnosis of Addison's disease was suggested by clinical hyperpigmentation and a roentgenographic narrowed cardiac silhouette. Cardiac arrest is an unusual complication of adrenal insufficiency.