National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Adrenal Gland Disorders is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Adrenal Gland Disorders
Your adrenal, or suprarenal, glands are located on 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.
-
Start Here
-
Adrenal Gland Disorders(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
-
Adrenal Gland Disorders
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
-
Overviews
- Adrenal Gland Disorders(American Urological Association)
-
Diagnosis/Symptoms
- 17-Hydroxyprogesterone Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic Hormone) Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Aldosterone and Renin Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Collection of a 24-Hour Urine Specimen (Beyond the Basics)(UpToDate)
- Conn's Syndrome(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Cortisol Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- DHEAS Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- X-Ray Exam: Bone Age Study(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
-
Treatment
- Laparoscopic Adrenal Gland Removal(Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons)
-
Disease Management
-
Managing Adrenal Insufficiency(National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center)
- PDF
- Return to top
-
Managing Adrenal Insufficiency
-
Specific Conditions
-
Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's Disease(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
-
Adrenoleukodystrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Short Summary
- Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia(American Academy of Family Physicians)
-
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
- Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Primary Aldosteronism(Hormone Health Network) - PDF
-
MedlinePlus: Adrenal Gland Cancer(National Library of Medicine)
- Primary Aldosteronism(Hormone Health Network) - PDF
- Virilization(Merck & Co., Inc.)
- Return to top
-
Adrenal Insufficiency and Addison's Disease
-
Related Issues
- Endocrine Hypertension(Hormone Health Network)
-
Health Alert: Adrenal Crisis Causes Death in Some People Who Were Treated with hGH(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Myth vs. Fact: Adrenal Fatigue(Endocrine Society, Hormone Health Network) - PDF
- Secondary Hypertension(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Return to top
-
Videos
- Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy(OR-Live) - Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Shawnee Mission, KS, 12/13/2007
- Return to top
-
Anatomy/Physiology
- Endocrine System(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Adrenal Gland Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital(National Institutes of Health)
- Return to top
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Adrenal Gland Diseases
-
Genetics
-
Genetics Home Reference: 21-hydroxylase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 11-beta-hydroxylase deficiency(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: Familial hyperaldosteronism(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita(National Library of Medicine)
-
Genetics Home Reference: X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy(National Library of Medicine)
- Return to top
-
Genetics Home Reference: 21-hydroxylase deficiency
-
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Cases of congenital adrenal hyperplasia missed by newborn screening in...
- Article: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis suppression after treatment with glucocorticoid therapy for...
- Article: Resistant hypertension and aldosterone: an update.
- Adrenal Gland Disorders -- see more articles
- Return to top
-
Directories
-
Directory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Organizations(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Return to top
-
Directory of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases Organizations
-
Organizations
-
Children
- Blood Test: 17-Hydroxyprogesterone(Nemours Foundation)
- Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Surgery Consideration for Girls with Classical Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)(CARES Foundation)
- Return to top
-
Teenagers
- Endocrine System(Nemours Foundation)
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
Patient Handouts
- Acute adrenal crisis
- Also available in Spanish
- Adrenal glands
- Also available in Spanish
- Adrenalectomy
- Also available in Spanish
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
- Also available in Spanish
- Hyperaldosteronism - primary and secondary
- Also available in Spanish
- Return to top
-
You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
