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