•A 73-year-old man had hyperpigmentation on the dorsum of the tongue.•His-symptoms were consistent with addison's disease from metastatic adrenal tumors.•Hyperpigmentation in addison's disease can occur anywhere due to various stimuli.•Hyperpigmentation could indicate susceptibility to acute adrenal insufficiency. A 73-year-old man diagnosed with brain metastasis from non-small cell lung carcinoma, not otherwise specified (NSCLC-NOS), was hospitalized for 1 week due to anorexia. A computed tomography revealed a 16.5 mm irregular-shaped nodule in the right lung apex, lymphadenopathy of the mediastinum, mesentery, and peri-aorta, and bilateral adrenal enlargement (46.3 and 48.7 mm in diameter). About 1 week before admission, his systolic blood pressure, which was approximately 110 mmHg suddenly dropped to approximately 80 mmHg. Simultaneously, his fasting blood glucose, also decreased to approximately 100 mg/dL from 200 mg/dL with a fever of 38 °C; he had poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Since he had an electrolyte disorder with hyponatremia of 131 mEq/L and a slightly high serum potassium level of 5.7 mEq/L, he was referred to our department. A physical examination revealed hyperpigmentation on the dorsum of his tongue, which he reported had been present for 3 months prior to admission (Fig. 1A). What is the diagnosis? The symptoms are consistent with Addison's disease due to metastatic bilateral adrenal tumors. His-early-morning fasting blood cortisol (9.98 µg/dL) was inappropriately low against a markedly high adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level (145 pg/mL). His-dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate level (11 µg/dL) was disproportionately low. Additionally, his plasma aldosterone concentration was <4.0 pg/mL, which is inappropriately low against the active renin concentration of 14.26 pg/mL, suggesting that his bilateral adrenal metastases impaired adrenal steroidogenesis in all layers of the adrenal cortex. The comparatively lower blood glucose, hypotension, and hyperkalemia are compatible with fever-induced acute adrenal insufficiency, which requires hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone replacement. One month following treatment initiation, the tongue discoloration disappeared (Fig. 1B). The coupling of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) peptides, α–melanocyte-stimulating hormone, and ACTH with the melanocortin-1 receptor stimulates melanogenesis [[1]Buscà R. Ballotti R. Cyclic AMP a key messenger in the regulation of skin pigmentation.Pigment Cell Res. 2000; 13: 60-69https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-0749.2000.130203.xCrossref PubMed Scopus (664) Google Scholar,[2]Wolf Horrell E.M. Boulanger M.C. D'Orazio J.A Melanocortin 1 receptor: structure, function, and regulation.Front Genet. 2016; 7: 95https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2016.00095Crossref PubMed Scopus (136) Google Scholar]. In Addison's disease, decreased negative feedback to the hypothalamus and pituitary due to reduced adrenal cortisol secretion increases POMC peptides, causing hyperpigmentation, which tends to occur in areas exposed to ultraviolet, chronic friction, and pressure [[3]Dunlop D. Eighty-six cases of Addison's disease.Br Med J. 1963; 2: 887-891https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.2.5362.887Crossref PubMed Scopus (153) Google Scholar]. Furthermore, the pigmentation generally occurs on the side of the tongue touching the teeth. The patient had consistently brushed his tongue with a toothbrush and believed the friction might have caused hyperpigmentation; thus, when hyperpigmentation is observed in high-risk patients, they should be informed that they are susceptible to acute adrenal insufficiency when under intense stress, such as fever or trauma.