| |
| | ACTH: The Test |
 | | Addison's disease presents with symptoms such as muscle weakness, fatigue, weight loss, increased skin pigmentation (even in areas not exposed to the sun) and loss of appetite, often accompanied by laboratory and physical signs such as low blood pressure, low blood glucose, low sodium, high potassium, and high calcium. |
| | Findings suggestive of hypopituitarism (usually due to a benign tumor that reduces pituitary gland secretion) include loss of appetite, fatigue, irregular menstrual cycle, hypogonadism (lower levels of sex hormones), decreased sex drive, frequent nighttime urination, and weight loss. |
| | By testing the ability of different doses of dexamethasone to stop ACTH production, it is often possible to tell if the patient has Cushing's syndrome and help determine its cause. |
| www.labtestsonline.org /understanding/analytes/acth/test.html (863 words) |
|
