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Tests for Adrenal Gland Tumors

The twin adrenal glands, located on top of the kidneys, produce hormones that play an important role in multiple body functions. Like most parts of the body, these glands can develop tumors, both benign and malignant. Testing for the presence of such tumors is done with a variety of imaging procedures.

  1. What Are the Adrenals?

    • Yellowish-orange in color and triangular in shape, the adrenals are made up of an outer layer called the cortex and an inner core known as the medulla, according to EndocrineWeb.com. The cortex produces cortisol, a key player in the body's metabolic processes, and aldosterone, which helps to regulate blood pressure. The adrenal medulla produces epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenalin), both of which come into play during "fight-or-flight" situations.

    Adrenal Tumors

    • Tumors of the adrenal glands can be either benign, called adenomas, or cancerous. However, cancerous tumors of the adrenals are very rare, accounting for only about 1 percent of all adrenal tumors, according to Cancer.net. The American Cancer Society estimates that only 300 to 500 cases of adrenal cancer are diagnosed every year. More widely diagnosed in women than in men, adrenal cancer can occur at any age, although the average age of patients is between 45 and 50. Adrenal cortical carcinoma targets the cortex of the gland, while pheochromocytoma is found in the adrenal medulla.

    Symptoms of Adrenal Cancers

    • The symptoms of adrenal cortical carcinoma include fluid retention and buildup; weight gain; excessive growth of body and facial hair in women; and early onset of puberty in children. Pheochromocytoma, a tumor that is malignant in only about 10 percent of its manifestations, causes an abnormally high level of epinephrine secretion. This results in such symptoms as excessive perspiration, severe headache, increased heart rate, tremors, anxiety, nausea, weight loss and low tolerance for heat.

    Diagnostic Imaging

    • The imaging tests used to diagnose adrenal tumors include ultrasound, computed tomographic (CT) imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the MIBG (metaiodobenzylguanidine) scan.

    Ultrasound & CT Scans

    • Ultrasound uses sound waves to visualize the adrenals and any abnormal growths that might be present. It is the least expensive of the imaging tools, as well as the least accurate. The CT scan is a very sophisticated X-ray procedure designed to produce multiple cross-sectional images of the organs or other body systems being studied. The procedure is painless and takes 30 minutes or less for a study of the adrenal glands and surrounding tissue.

    MRI & MIBG Scans

    • MRI images use magnetic fields to visualize the adrenals or other body systems. MRIs produce high-quality images, as good as or better than those obtained with the CT scan. The MRI procedure may take up to an hour. The MIBG scan is a nuclear medicine scanning technique that is used exclusively for the detection of pheocromocytomas. The patient is injected with a radioisotope that clusters in the area of hyperactive endocrine tissue, such as that caused by a pheocromocytoma. This is a time-consuming test that may take an hour a day for three or four days in succession.

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