Adrenal Gland Conditions and Treatment
When the adrenal glands affect your body's ability to regulate fluid, we can help. We work with hormone experts (endocrinologists) and cancer care specialists (oncologists) to treat a wide range of problems with the adrenal glands.
What Are the Adrenal Glands (Adrenals)?
Adrenals are the two small glands on top of each kidney. These glands help your body regulate many hormones, which control different functions in your body.
What Do the Adrenal Glands Do?
The adrenal glands make many types of hormones in your body. These hormones affect how your immune system responds to stress and how you regulate fluid.
Adrenal gland tumors can have different shapes and sizes and affect different hormones. The impact they have on the hormones can vary as well. For example, low levels of cortisol may affect growth and development, while too much cortisol can cause Cushing's syndrome.
Adrenal Gland Conditions We Treat
We work with experts to treat:
Diagnosis
In addition to asking you about your medical history, we run several tests to identify the condition affecting your adrenal gland function. Diagnostic tests may include:
CT Scan |
MRI |
Blood Tests |
|---|---|---|
|
These scans combine many X-ray images, taken at different angles, to give us a 3D picture of the adrenal glands. |
MRIs create images of the adrenal glands by using magnets and radio waves. |
Analyzing a small sample of your blood gives us helpful information about your hormones. If certain hormones are higher or lower than normal, that may indicate an adrenal gland condition. |
Treatment
When tumors, cancer or other conditions affect the adrenals, we provide comprehensive treatment.
Adrenal Tumor Treatment
We treat adrenal tumors based on several factors, including size, location and hormone changes. Treatment options include medication to regulate the hormone levels and surgery to remove the tumor.
Adrenal Surgery
If you have certain adrenal conditions, including adrenal nodules, Cushing's syndrome or hyperaldosteronism, surgery may be the best option to improve your health.
We use minimally invasive and robotic surgery to reduce pain and speed up procedure and recovery time. This results in faster, safer surgeries to help you get back to doing the things you love. Discover more about adrenal gland surgery at Cedars-Sinai.
Have Questions or Need Help?
To make an appointment or refer a patient, call the Department of Urology team. You can also have us call you back at your convenience.