addison's disease

Addison's disease \Ad"di*son's dis*ease"\ [Named from Thomas Addison, M. D., of London, who first described it.] (Med.) A morbid condition causing a peculiar brownish discoloration of the skin, hypotension, and loss of weight; it is due to insufficient secretion of adrenocortical hormones. Untreated disease is usually fatal. Called also chronic adrenocortical insufficiency [1913 Webster + AS]

Addison's disease n 1: a glandular disorder caused by failure of function of the cortex of the adrenal gland and marked by anemia and prostration with brownish skin [syn: Addison's disease, Addison's syndrome, hypoadrenalism, hypoadrenocorticism]