National Organization for Rare Disorders. Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's Disease. Tuberculosis (TB) can damage the adrenal glands and used to be the most common cause of Addison’s disease. Addison's Disease. Addison disease, rare disorder defined by destruction of the outer layer of the adrenal glands, the hormone-producing organs located just above the kidneys. Accessed 4/11/2019. Adrenal insufficiency, including Addison’s disease, is a disorder that occurs when the adrenal glands don’t make enough of certain hormones. As treatment improved over the years, TB became a much less common cause. Addison disease is rare because it only occurs when at least 90 percent of the adrenal cortex is destroyed. Cushing Syndrome is a hormonal disorder caused by high levels of the hormone cortisol in the body. Most-at-risk groups include men who have sex with men (MSM) / gay sex with 395 new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections among within this group from January to September 2008 alone, 96% up from 2005’s 210 reported infections. Gay Men Safe and Unsafe Sex Practices. Signs and symptoms may include high blood pressure, abdominal obesity but with thin arms and legs, reddish stretch marks, a round red face, a fat lump between the shoulders, weak muscles, weak bones, acne, and fragile skin that heals poorly. Cushing's syndrome is the collection of signs and symptoms due to prolonged exposure to glucocorticoids such as cortisol. In the mid-19th century when the Certain infections can also cause Addison’s disease. In developed countries, autoimmune disease causes 8 or 9 of every 10 cases of Addison’s disease. Addison's disease or ‘primary adrenal insufficiency’ is a condition where the adrenal glands are unable to produce enough hormones. Accessed 4/11/2019. Accessed 4/11/2019. Causes can include infection, damage, and an autoimmune response that prompts the immune system to attack and destroy the adrenal glands. National Adrenal Diseases Foundation. 4. These include cortisol, sometimes called the “stress hormone,” which is essential for life. Addison's Disease: The Facts You Need to Know. Find top treatment options, what causes it and more.