Medical Health Care Advices

What other disease can be treated?

Much more rarely, an adrenal mass is a metastasis of a cancer which originates elsewhere in the body (most commonly lung or intestine). Generally, the origin of this cancer is evident by performing a simple physical examination or tests as simple as a chest radiograph.

In addition, using some means of specialized radiology and only appearance in the scanner or MRI is very different depending on whether a metastasis or a benign growth. An adrenal mass may also be an adrenal carcinoma (a cancer of the gland we’re trying). Although this type of cancer is really rare, usually very large masses and produce a diverse mix of hormones.

Adrenal adenomas may also originate in the inner layer of the adrenal gland, called “adrenal medulla”, which is part of our body’s nervous system (sympathetic autonomic nervous system) and produces the famous hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline, involved in the series reactions that make up the overall response of the body “flight or fight”. These tumors of the adrenal medulla are called “pheochromocytoma” being distinguished from the previously described adrenal adenomas both imaging techniques (pheochromocytoma have an image in the scanner differs from the adrenal adenoma) and by laboratory tests in Blood and urine tests measure the levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline.

What can the doctor do?

Adrenal masses should be referred to an endocrinologist because, for correct diagnosis special tests are necessary both image and hormones. The endocrinologist will examine the existence of symptoms associated with Cushing syndrome, Conn syndrome, acne, increased body hair, and blood pressure. It will perform a thorough examination to rule out the presence of cancer somewhere in the body that may have occurred in the gland metastasis.

This specialist also conducted various tests to determine hormone levels of the hormones produced by this gland. Patients who are taking hormonal contraceptives (eg contraceptive pill) should leave six months before beginning the study of hormones in blood, as this study can be altered by the presence of female hormones in the pill. During this time are advised to use barrier methods of contraception such as condoms or spermicides.

* Collection of 24-hour urine for measurement of adrenaline and noradrenaline.

* Blood draws to determine levels of:

- Potassium

- Plasma renin activity and aldosterone

- Male sex hormones (testosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, dihidroepiandrostendiona, and androstenedione) female sex hormones (estradiol and progesterone), and

- Test with low-dose dexamethasone, which checks the secretion of adequate levels of cortisol (dexamethasone involves taking oral administration and the subsequent extraction of blood for cortisol levels).

Laboratory tests are often referred to be:

More may be needed additional imaging tests, including chest radiographs and MRI of the adrenal gland.

What can you do?

There is no scientific evidence to endorse preventive or symptomatic for adrenal adenomas.

credit to: Dr. Alfonso José Santiago Marí, Dr. Shern Chew

Possibility Related Posts:

• Adrenal Adenomas: Treatment and Prognosis
  Treatment The treatment of functioning adrenal adenoma is surgical removal of it (lumpectomy) or the gland (adrenalectomy). In some hospitals, surgical removal is performed laparoscopically (throug...
• Adrenal Adenomas: Symptoms and Diagnosis
  What are the symptoms? Most patients have no symptoms caused by the adenoma, but when carrying out the tests accurate, even in these patients can be demonstrated in some excess production of some s...
• Adrenal Adenomas
  What is an adrenal adenomas? The adrenal glands (two) are located in the upper pole of each kidney. Adrenal adenomas are benign (noncancerous) tumors of the adrenal gland. They originate in the out...