Adrenal Tumors

What are the adrenal glands?
Types of adrenal tumors
Cortisol producing adenomas
Aldosteronomas
Pheochromocytoma
Other hormone secreting tumors
Benign vs. Malignant Adrenal Tumors
Adrenal "incidentalomas"

What are the adrenal glands?

• These are the sole source in the body responsible for secreting three different classes of hormones: glucocorticoids, mineraolocorticoids, and catecholamines. They also are an important source of sex steroids, especially before puberty. Glucocorticoids (in humans cortisol, although different hormones in rodents) are necessary for maintenance of a variety of metabolic processes, including maintenance of blood sugar as well as regulating inflammatory states. Mineralocorticoids (aldosterone) are needed for the body to properly regulate salt and water balance. These hormones, as well as the sex steroids produced by the adrenals, are all manufactured in the outer portion of the adrenal gland, known as the adrenal cortex. Tumors of the adrenal gland that secrete these substances are therefore known as "adrenocortical tumors"
• The remaining hormones secreted by the adrenal gland are the catecholamines, comprised mainly of epinephrine and norepinephrine (also known as adrenaline and noradrenaline). These hormones give rise to the "fight or flight" response, and are secreted by the inner portion of the adrenal gland, known as the adrenal medulla. Tumors of this portion of the gland are most commonly known as pheochromocytomas.

Types of adrenal tumors

Cortisol producing adenomas (account for about 60% of hormone-secreting adrenocortical tumors)

Aldosteronomas (account for about another 30% of tumors)

Pheochromocytoma

• Please call Dr. Pacak.

Other hormone secreting tumors

Benign vs. Malignant Adrenal Tumors

Adrenal incidentalomas

Due to the increasing frequency of the use of advanced body imaging techniques (for example, CT, MRI), nodules on the adrenal glands are being detected with ever increasing frequency. Recent retrospective studies estimate that between 1-5% of all adults have a lesion on the adrenal gland that can be detected by imaging (REF). The frequency of these lesions appears to increase roughly parallel with age, such that the older a person is, the more likely he is to have a nodule on the adrenal gland. Because the large majority of these are detected incidentally (that is, during a scan done for other reasons--such as abdominal pain), these lesions have been termed "incidentalomas".