Overview
The adrenal glands are located on top of the kidneys and are about half of an inch high and three inches long. These glands are part of the endocrine system, which means that they make hormones that affect the rest of the body. Adrenal gland disorders can be caused by a problem with the glands themselves or elsewhere in the body.
Adrenal Hormones
The adrenal gland is composed of two main portions: the cortex and the medulla. The cortex of the adrenal glands, according to UrologyHealth.org, makes the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. Cortisol helps regulate the body’s metabolism and its response to stress. Aldosterone is critical for the body’s regulation of salt and water excretion. The medulla of the adrenal glands makes adrenaline.
Adrenal and Pituitary Glands
The adrenal glands, as the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) explains, are controlled by another gland called the pituitary. When the body needs to make more cortisol or aldosterone, the pituitary secretes a hormone called adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This stimulates the action of the adrenal glands, causing them to make more hormones.
Primary Adrenal Problems
Some adrenal problems are termed “primary” adrenal problems because they arise from a problem with the adrenal gland itself. Damaged adrenal glands can produce abnormally low quantities of hormones. Adrenal glands that produce too much cortisol, on the other hand, can lead to Cushing’s syndrome. Cushing’s syndrome, Medline Plus explains, can lead to patients developing obesity in their upper body as well as low bone density, a change in facial features (called moon facies), redistribution of body fat and problems with easy bruising or bleeding. One potential cause of this disease is a tumor in the adrenal gland that produces cortisol.
Secondary Adrenal Problems
Problems with the pituitary can also cause adrenal malfunction, due to the importance of ACTH in stimulating the adrenal glands. Pituitary tumors can cause the adrenal glands to make either too many or too few hormones. Some pituitary tumors crush the gland, causing ACTH production to plummet. Other tumors secrete ACTH, which can cause Cushing’s syndrome.
Diagnosis
Most adrenal gland disorders are diagnosed using blood or urine tests. Cortisol testing, Lab Tests Online explains, is a very good indicator of adrenal function. The cause of abnormal results can be determined using additional tests. The ACTH stimulation test, for examples, involves testing cortisol levels before and after the patient is given an injection of ACTH; normally functioning adrenal glands will produce more cortisol after the ACTH stimulation.
About this Author
Adam Cloe is an MD/PhD student at the University of Chicago. He has a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry from Boston University, where he won an award for excellence in undergraduate science writing. He has been published in various scientific journals.
