Your adrenal, or suprarenal, glands are located near the top of each kidney. These glands produce hormones that you can't live without, including sex hormones and cortisol, which helps you respond to stress and has many other functions.
Adrenal disorders can cause your adrenal glands to make too much or not enough hormones. With Cushing's syndrome, there's too much cortisol, while with Addison's disease, there is too little. Some people are born unable to make enough cortisol. Tumors can also cause disorders in your adrenal glands. Bleeding and infection can cause an adrenal gland problem that can be fatal without quick treatment.
Treatment depends on which problem you have. Surgery or medicines can treat many adrenal gland disorders.
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Adrenal Gland Disorders
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Adrenal_Gland_Disorders.cfm
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Adrenal Gland Disorders(American Urological Association) - http://urologyhealth.org/adult/index.cfm?cat=02&topic=30&x=15&y=15
Also available in Spanish http://urologyhealth.org/espanol/espanol.cfm?topic=30
- ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone) Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/acth/test.html
- Aldosterone and Renin Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/aldosterone/test.html
- Conn's Syndrome(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/conn-2.html
- Cortisol Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/cortisol/test.html
- DHEAS Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/dheas/test.html
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Adrenocortical Carcinoma (PDQ): Treatment(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/adrenocortical/patient/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cancer.gov/espanol/pdq/tratamiento/cortezasuprarrenal/patient/
- Laparoscopic Adrenal Gland Removal(Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons) - http://www.sages.org/publications/publication.php?id=PI14
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Newborn Screening Tests(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) - http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/298_834.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nacersano.org/centro/9256_9689.asp
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Managing Adrenal Insufficiency(National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center) - Links to PDF - http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/pepubs/mngadrins.pdf
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Adrenoleukodystrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/adrenoleukodystrophy/adrenoleukodystrophy.htm
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Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Congenital_Adrenal_Hyperplasia.cfm
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Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: What It Is and How It's Treated(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/special/birth/362.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/children/parents/special/birth/362.printerview.html
- Detailed Guide: Adrenal Cortical Cancer(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_3x.asp?rnav=cridg&dt=71
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JAMA Patient Page: Adrenal Insufficiency(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/294/19/2528.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/294/19/2528/DC1/1
- Primary Aldosteronism(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/primary-aldosteronism/DS00563/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Virilization(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec13/ch164/ch164d.html
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Health Alert: Adrenal Crisis Causes Death in Some People Who Were Treated with hGH(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/creutz/alert.htm
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Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy(OR-Live) - Requires Flash Player - One hour program - 12/13/2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/shm_1989/rnh.cfm?id=617
- Endocrine System(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body_basics/endocrine.html
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Adrenal Gland Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Adrenal+Gland+Diseases%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Adrenal+Hyperplasia,+Congenital%22
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Genetics Home Reference: 21-hydroxylase deficiency(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=21hydroxylasedeficiency
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Genetics Home Reference: X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=xlinkedadrenalhypoplasiacongenita
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Genetics Home Reference: X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=xlinkedadrenoleukodystrophy
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Is there a "normal" range of serum cortisol concentration for... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18829815&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Do cortisol concentrations predict short-term outcomes in extremely low birth... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18829801&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Identification of biomarkers of adrenocortical carcinoma using genomewide gene expression... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18794420&tool=MedlinePlus
- Adrenal Gland Disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=adrenal+gland+diseases[majr]+NOT+(addison+disease[mh]+OR+adrenoleukodystrophy[mh]+OR+cushing+syndrome[mh])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- adrenal gland - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=adrenal+gland
- Pituitary Network Association Glossary(Pituitary Network Association) - http://www.pituitary.org/glossary/
- AACE Physician Finder(American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) - http://www.aace.com/resources/memsearch.php
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Directory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Organizations(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://www.endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/resources/organizations.htm
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- Pituitary Network Association - http://www.pituitary.org/
- Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia(MAGIC Foundation) - http://www.magicfoundation.org/www/docs/100/congenital_adrenal_hyperplasia.html
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Endocrine System(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/body_basics/endocrine.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/cuerpo/endocrine_esp.html
- Addison's Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/addisonsdisease.html
- Cushing's Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cushingssyndrome.html
- Pheochromocytoma - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pheochromocytoma.html
- Endocrine System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocrinesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Adrenal Gland Disorders is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/