Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, also known as CAH or 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency, is a genetic disorder of the
adrenal glands.
Normally, the adrenal glands help keep the body in balance by making the right amounts of hormones, such as cortisol, aldosterone, and androgens.
In people with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, the body doesn’t make enough of the hormone cortisol. Their bodies may also not make aldosterone. Instead, their adrenal glands make too much androgen.
(View a picture of the adrenal glands and a patient education page about the adrenal glands)
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is caused by an error on a single gene. It is inherited, meaning it is passed down from parents to their children. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is the most common autosomal recessive genetic disorder in humans.