Adrenal tumors can be benign or malignant and arise from excess secretion of hormones in the adrenal cortex or medulla. CT scans can detect tumors, and laparoscopic surgery can remove benign tumors under four inches. Adrenal cancer and Addison’s disease may require removal of one or both adrenal glands.
Adrenal tumors are tumors of the adrenal glands that arise from the cortex or medulla, two parts of the glands. Adrenal tumors form when excess secretion of hormones occurs. The adrenal cortex can produce too much aldosterone and steroid hormones, and the adrenal medulla can produce too many catecholamines. These excess secretions form adrenal tumors, which can be benign or malignant, but it can be difficult to distinguish between the two.
The two adrenal glands sit just above the kidneys and help protect the body from stress. Many different hormones are secreted by these glands to aid in this function, but when the secretion is brought into excess, tumors can form. The adrenal cortex is the outer part of the gland that produces steroid hormones and aldosterone, which together regulate body functions and the amount of salt and water in the body. The adrenal medulla is the part inside the gland that produces adrenaline and norepinephrine, together called catecholamines, which help the body respond to sudden or severe stress. Catecholamines regulate perspiration, eye enlargement and trembling during stressful situations.
Adrenal tumors usually show up on a CT scan or presentation of symptoms. A CT scan of the abdomen can be done for many different reasons, and an unsuspected adrenal tumor can be caught if the adrenal gland is swollen. Also, this gland can cause symptoms due to excessive secretion of hormones by the tumor.
Adrenal tumors can be treated by observation if the tumors are small and symptoms are mild. A CT scan twice a year can monitor small tumors, but those larger than four centimeters should be removed. Benign tumors under four inches can be removed with laparoscopic surgery, in which small incisions are made in the abdomen and long tubes called ports are inserted. When the tumor is thought to be cancerous, an open adrenalectomy, the removal of an adrenal gland, is recommended. When adrenal disease is present in both glands, a laparoscopic removal of both adrenal glands should occur.
An adrenal gland may be removed for reasons other than tumors of the cortex, medulla, or adrenal gland. Adrenal cancer or an adrenal mass that causes pain or tenderness should require removal of one or both adrenal glands. Adrenal cancer is an aggressive cancer that often invades nearby organs such as the abdominal cavity, lungs, liver and bones. Another adrenal problem is Addison’s disease, which is caused by the adrenal glands not producing cortisol. Since cortisol helps the body respond to stress, underproduction can have serious consequences such as fatigue, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, skin changes, depression and reproductive problems.
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