Simmonds' disease; report of a case observed for nine years, with postmortem findings.

Abstract

FOR a decade following Simmonds' report (1) of the syndrome bearing his name, many cases were recorded as Simmonds' disease which were not proven at autopsy. Excellent clinical reviews by Silver (2), Calder (3), and Escamilla and Lisser (4) revealed that most of the cases that had been reported as Simmonds' disease were in reality instances of anorexia nervosa. Of 595 case reports reviewed by Escamilla and Lisser (4) in 1942, there were 101 verified cases of Simmonds' disease. Additional verified cases have been reported by Robertson (5), Darley (6), and Beare (7). Because of the relatively few proven cases in the literature, the following confirmed case is reported. CASE HISTORY B.C., a 28-year-old white primipara, was first admitted to Saint Louis City Hospital in 1935 because of toxemia of pregnancy. At the age of 9 she had had scarlet fever which she did not recall as eventful and at no other time had she experienced any serious illness. Following several mild convulsions, cesarean section was perform...