Adrenal failure associated with hypothalamic and adrenal metastases: A case report and review of the literature

A 59‐year‐old black man with adrenocortical failure was found at autopsy to have metastatic destruction of the pituitary infundibulum and of one adrenal gland. A review of the literature indicates that on the average 22% of patients dying with cancer have metastases to the adrenals, and 5% have metastases to the pituitary‐hypothalamic region. Much higher incidences have been reported in some studies. By comparison, clinical hypopituitarism and hypoadrenalism due to such metastases have been reported very infrequently. This discrepancy may derive partly from failure to diagnose hypopituitarism and hypoadrenalism in the presence of disseminated cancer.