Forsyth Medical Center 
Adrenal Gland
| The adrenal glands are endocrine glands which are located on the top of both kidneys. |
Adrenal glands are small, triangular glands located on top of both kidneys. An adrenal gland is made of two parts: the outer region is called the adrenal cortex and the inner region is called the adrenal medulla.
The adrenal glands produce horomones involved in the control of blood pressure, chemicals in the blood, water use in the body, glucose usage and the "fight or flight" reaction during times of stress. These hormones include cortisol, aldosterone, epinephrine, norepinephrine, estrogen and androgens.
Click here to learn more about the anatomy and function of the adrenal glands.
Common disorders of the adrenal gland include:
Functional Tumors
Functional tumors are growths in the adrenal glands that produce excess amounts of the cortisol, aldosterone, epinephrine, norepinephrine, estrogen and androgens hormones. Adrenal tumors that provide excess hormones include:
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Pheochromocytoma
- These tumors cause extremely high blood pressure and present with headaches, sweating, anxiety, palpitations and increased heart rate.
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Aldosteronoma
- These tumors cause high blood pressure and low potassium levels. They present with weakness, fatigue and frequent urination.
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Cortisol Producing Tumors
- These tumors cause Cushing's Syndrome characterized by obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, fragile skin and stretch marks
Non-functional Tumors-
Incidentaloma Tumors
- These tumors are detected during x-rays for other problems. They are discovered as enlarged adrenal glands, but do not produce hormones. Removal of these tumors is recommended when they are larger than four to five centimenters.
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Adrenal Gland Cancer
- These are rare tumors that are found to be very large, but do not secrete hormones.
Surgical procedures to treat adrenal gland disorders include:
Open Adrenalectomy
This procedure is performed on patients with large tumors. It is also performed on most adrenal cancers. Common approaches to performing an open adrenalectomy have been to go through the abdomen or to go through the back. This procedure requires three to four days in the hospital with a six week recovery period.
Click here to learn more about the laparoscopic adrenalectomy procedure.
