In bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, the medulla may be seen as a highly echogenic linear structure on US and a high-density linear structure on CT. The other causes of diffuse adrenal enlargement are
hemorrhage, infectious disease
, infiltrating neoplastic disease, and congenital metabolic deficiency disease.
Why is my adrenal gland thickening?
Hyperaldosteronism
: This condition is caused by a small tumor in the adrenal gland that makes too much aldosterone or an enlargement (hyperplasia) of the adrenal glands. A high level of aldosterone plays a part in the body’s salt and potassium balance, and may cause high blood pressure.
What does nodular thickening of the adrenal gland mean?
An adrenal nodule is
when normal tissue grows into a lump
. Most incidental adrenal nodules do not cause health problems. However, they need to be evaluated for signs of excess hormone production or suspicion of malignancy.
What are the symptoms of an enlarged adrenal gland?
- Upper body obesity, round face and neck, and thinning arms and legs.
- Skin problems, such as acne or reddish-blue streaks on the abdomen or underarm area.
- High blood pressure.
- Muscle and bone weakness.
- Moodiness, irritability, or depression.
- High blood sugars.
What are the symptoms of adrenal adenoma?
- High blood pressure.
- Low potassium level.
- Heart palpitations.
- Nervousness.
- Feelings of anxiety or panic attacks.
- Headache.
- Heavy sweating/perspiration.
- Diabetes.
Do benign adrenal tumors cause symptoms?
Most benign adrenal
tumors cause no symptoms
and don’t need treatment. But sometimes these tumors secrete high levels of certain hormones that can cause complications. The most common hormones that can be over-secreted are aldosterone and cortisol from the cortex and adrenalin hormones from the medulla.
Can adrenal nodules cause pain?
As an adrenal cancer grows, it presses on nearby organs and tissues. This may cause
pain near the tumor
, a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, or trouble eating because of a feeling of filling up easily.
Can adrenal nodules disappear?
Adrenal incidentalomas are a common finding due to the increasing use and improved technology of imaging studies. The majority of these enlargements are
non-functional and irreversible
.
How do you treat adrenal nodules?
Treatment will depend on the type of adrenal tumor you have and where it’s located. Your doctor may recommend one or several of the following:
surgery, hormone therapy, chemotherapy
, radionuclide therapy (injection of a radioactive substance into the tumor), or other therapies.
How do you remove adrenal nodules?
Most adrenal tumors can be removed by a surgical procedure called
laparoscopic adrenalectomy
. In a small number of patients it may be necessary to convert a laparoscopic adrenalectomy to an open adrenalectomy. For some patients, an open adrenalectomy may be preferable initially.
What happens if your adrenal glands are not working properly?
Secondary adrenal insufficiency
occurs when the pituitary gland doesn’t make enough of the hormone ACTH. The adrenal glands then don’t make enough cortisol. Mild symptoms may be seen only when a person is under physical stress. Other symptoms may include weakness, fatigue, and weight loss.
What causes a tumor on the adrenal gland?
Adrenal tumors are cancerous or noncancerous growths on the adrenal glands. The cause of most adrenal tumors
is unknown
. Risk factors for adrenal tumors can include Carney complex, Li-Fraumeni syndrome, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 and neurofibromatosis type 1.
Can stress cause adrenal gland problems?
Any kind of excess stress causes the adrenals to increase cortisol production
. Adrenal fatigue is thought to occur when the adrenals have been overworked to a degree that they can no longer secrete levels of cortisol that are adequate for optimal function.
Should adrenal adenomas be removed?
How do doctors treat adrenal gland problems? If the tumor is small and not causing health problems, your doctor might just check it with repeat blood or urine tests and a scan every year. If it is large, might be cancerous, or makes extra hormones, your doctor will probably recommend
surgery
to remove it.
Can adrenal tumors cause back pain?
Symptoms of adrenal cancer are usually caused by the hormones the tumor is making. Some symptoms are caused when the tumor is very large and is pressing on nearby organs. People with adrenal cancer may have any or all of these symptoms: Belly or back pain.
Will CT scan show adrenal tumor?
CT scans
show the adrenal glands fairly clearly
and often can confirm the location of the cancer. It can also help show if the cancer has spread into your liver or other nearby organs. CT scans can also show lymph nodes and distant organs where metastatic cancer might be present.
