Characteristics and Challenges of Primary Adrenal Insufficiency in Africa: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Backgrounds. Africa comprises 54 countries with varying degrees of economic development. As with other healthcare systems, rare diseases such as adrenal insufficiency are neglected and poorly documented. Objectives. We wished to explore primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI) in Africa, its prevalence, aetiology, genetics, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment and to determine the unmet needs in clinical care, education, and research. Materials and Methods. A narrative nonsystematic review of the literature was undertaken. We searched two online databases (PubMed and Google scholar) using the search terms “Addison’s disease/PAI, primary adrenal insufficiency coupled with “Africa,” “country names,” and “genetic disorders.” A total of 184 PAI records were reviewed. The exclusion of abstracts, conference proceedings, single case reports, and duplicate studies covering the same subject matter yielded 124 articles, of which 97 informed the final manuscript. Results. A wide range of aetiology of PAI was encountered, but their true prevalence is unknown. Aetiology varied with region and age of presentation as reflected by predominantly TB, HIV, and infective causes occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and more congenital forms described in North Africa associated with consanguinity. In Africa, the diagnostic criteria for PAI do not universally accord with conventional criteria, and there is a heavy reliance on clinical suspicion and biochemistry, including random cortisol of <400 nmol/L, rather than the tetracosactide test where stimulated cortisol <500–550 nmol/L confirms the diagnosis. Conclusions. A high index of suspicion is warranted to diagnose PAI in resource-limited settings, especially where tetracosactide tests are not universally available.