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Role of cell volume disregulation in clinical pathophysiology of endocrine disorders

Cell volume changes may cause some manifestations of the endocrinopathiae or push to their misdiagnosis. Our clinical experience shows that abdominal viscera cell swelling in exacerbation of Addison’s disease (Addisonian crises) is regularly displayed with liver enlargement, right side subcostal pain and even imitate acute abdomen. Acute pain in abdominal and liver areas is often accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea and fever. This is diagnostically misleading for physicians not aware of cell volume disorders. Our observation of an Addisonian crisis case is described and discussed. Case was misdiagnosed as acute abdomen and lead to laparotomy with fatal outcome due to lack of glucocorticoid protection [1]. False acute abdomen signs were caused by sodium loss and relative decrease of extracellular fluid tonicity with cell swelling and painful distension of abdominal organs’ capsules. Differential signs of Addisonian crises and acute abdomen are discussed. In sub-compensated diabetes mel...