Add comprehensive documentation for adrenal conditions
- Created detailed articles for Adrenal Adenoma, Adrenal Cyst, Adrenal Myelolipoma, and general Adrenal anatomy. - Included key facts, imaging findings, differential diagnoses, pathology, clinical issues, and diagnostic checklists for each condition. - Enhanced understanding of adrenal tumors and their characteristics through structured documentation.
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title: "Adrenal"
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docid: "082ca43c-db5c-4770-aeed-0c6ea317e8fc"
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breadcrumbs:
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- "Genitourinary"
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- "Anatomy"
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- "Adrenal"
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---
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# TERMINOLOGY
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- ## Abbreviations
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- Adrenal corticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
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# GROSS ANATOMY
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- ## Overview
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- Adrenal (**suprarenal**) glands are part of endocrine and neurological systems
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- Essentially different organs within same structure, composed of thick outer cortex and thin inner medulla
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- Lie within**perirenal space**bilaterally, bounded by**renal** (**perirenal**)**fascia**, above/medial to kidneys
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- Composed of "body" and 2 limbs (medial and lateral)
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- ## Anatomic Relationships
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- Right adrenal is usually more apical in location
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- Lies anterolateral to right crus of diaphragm, medial to liver, and posterior to inferior vena cava (IVC)
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- Often pyramidal in shape with inverted V shape on transverse section
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- Left adrenal is usually more caudal and lies medial to upper pole of left kidney, lateral to left crus of diaphragm, and posterior to splenic vein and pancreas
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- Often crescentic in shape with λ or triangular shape on transverse section
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- ## Divisions
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- **Adrenal cortex**
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- Embryologically derived from mesoderm
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- Divided into 3 distinct zones (zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata, and zona reticularis)
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- Secretes **mineralocorticoids**(aldosterone) from zona glomerulosa, **glucocorticoids**(cortisol) from zona fasciculata, and **androgens**from zona reticularis
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- **Adrenal medulla**
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- Embryologically derived from neural crest
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- Part of sympathetic nervous system
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- **Chromaffin cells** secrete **catecholamines** (mostly epinephrine) into bloodstream
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- **Vessels**,**nerves**, and **lymphatics**
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- Arteries
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- **Superior adrenal arteries**: Typically 6-8; from inferior phrenic arteries
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- **Middle adrenal artery**: 1; from abdominal aorta
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- **Inferior adrenal artery**: 1; from renal arteries
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- Veins
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- **Right adrenal vein** drains into IVC
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- **Left adrenal vein** drains into left renal vein (usually after joining left inferior phrenic vein)
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- Nerves
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- Extensive sympathetic connection to adrenal medulla
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- Presynaptic sympathetic fibers from paravertebral ganglia end directly on secretory cells of medulla
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- Lymphatics
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- Drain to **lumbar** (**aortic** and **caval**) **nodes**
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# ANATOMY IMAGING ISSUES
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- ## Multimodality Imaging Appearance
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- No consensus on "normal" size or thickness of adrenals but average thickness of ~ 3 mm for medial/lateral limbs
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- While not based on any strong evidence, > 10-mm thickness can be used as threshold for hyperplasia
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- MR: Generally isointense to liver on T1 MR and isointense to slightly hyperintense to liver on T2 MR
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- Ultrasound: Easiest to visualize in newborns (as result of physiologic enlargement) and become progressively more difficult to visualize with age
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- Right adrenal gland easier to visualize than left (due to lack of liver as acoustic window and overlying bowel gas)
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- Adrenal glands in adults usually hypoechoic (juxtaposed against hyperechoic periadrenal fat), although medulla can rarely be discretely seen and appears hyperechoic
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- ## Key Concepts
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- **Adrenal** (**cortical**) **adenomas**
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- Very common (at least 2% of general population) but usually cause no symptoms
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- Mostly "nonfunctioning" but identical to "functional" adenomas that cause Cushing/Conn syndrome
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- Most adenomas contain abundant lipid (precursor to steroid hormones), allowing definitive diagnosis using CT/MR sequences that highlight lipid
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- Lipid is intracellular/intercellular (not macroscopic deposits of fat)
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- Best CT technique: Nonenhanced CT with nodule measuring < 10 HU; or multiphase-enhanced CT with nodule demonstrating "washout" kinetics
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- Best MR technique: Chemical-shift MR with signal dropout within nodule on opposed-phase images
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- Standard imaging features for diagnosis of adenoma should be used for nodules measuring < 4 cm, while lesions > 4 cm should raise concern for malignancy
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- **Pheochromocytoma** (tumor of adrenal medulla)
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- Signs: Headache, palpitations, excessive perspiration
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- 90% arise in adrenal, 90% unilateral, 90% benign
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- Similar tumor arising in other chromaffin cells of sympathetic ganglia is called **paraganglioma**
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- More common with multiple endocrine neoplasia, neurofibromatosis, and von Hippel-Lindau
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- Often markedly hypervascular in arterial phase
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- **Adrenal myelolipoma**
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- Uncommon benign tumor (usually incidental finding) composed of mature adipose and hematopoietic tissue
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- Characterized by presence of **macroscopic fat**
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- May have internal soft tissue component or calcification
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- **Adrenocortical carcinoma**
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- Highly aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis
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- Large, heterogeneous mass (often with necrosis, hemorrhage, or calcification) with frequent local invasion, vascular invasion, and distant metastases
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- **Cushing syndrome** (excess cortisol)
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- Signs: Truncal obesity, hirsutism, hypertension
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- Causes: Pituitary tumors (→ adrenal corticotrophic hormone), exogenous (medications) > adrenal adenoma > carcinoma
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- **Conn syndrome** (excess aldosterone)
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- Signs: Hypertension, hypokalemic alkalosis
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- Causes: Adrenal adenomas > hyperplasia > carcinoma
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- **Addison syndrome**(adrenal insufficiency)
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- Signs: Hypotension, weight loss, altered pigmentation
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- Causes: Autoimmune disease > adrenal metastases > adrenal hemorrhage > adrenal infection
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# CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
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- ## Clinical Importance
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- Rich adrenal blood supply due to endocrine function
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- Results in adrenal glands being common site for hematologic **metastases** (lung, breast, melanoma, etc.)
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- Adrenal glands respond to stress (trauma, sepsis, surgery, etc.) by secreting ↑ cortisol and epinephrine
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- Overwhelming stress may result in **adrenal hemorrhage**or acute adrenal insufficiency (addisonian crisis)
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