Disorders of Adrenals

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Adrenal glands and Disorders

• M.Prasad Naidu
• MSc Medical Biochemistry,
• Ph.D.Research Scholar

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Disorders of adrenal glands

• Hyperactivity-
• 1. Cushings syndrome
• 2. Hyperaldosteronism
• 3. Adrenogenital syndrome
• Hypoactivity-
• 1. chronic adrenal insufficiencyAddisons
  disease
• 2. acute adrenal insufficiency Addisonian crisis
  or Adrenal crisis
• 3. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia

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Cushings syndrome

• A disorder characterized by obesity due to
  hypersecretion of GCs.
• Causes-
• Due to excessive secretion of GCs.
• Particularly due to oversecretion of cortisol
• If it is due to pituitary origin?cushings Di
• If it is due to adrenal origin? cushings Sy

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Pituitary origin(cushings disease)

• ? of ACTH causes ? secretion of GCs
• Elevation of ACTH secretion occurs due to
• 1. Tumor in pituitary cells particularly in
  basophils which secrete ACTH.
• 2. cancer of lungs
• 3. hypothalamic disorder causing ? CRF

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Adrenal origin(cushings syndrome)

• Increased secretion of Cortisol occurs in the
  following conditions.
• 1. Tumor in zona fasciculata of A.cortex.
• 2. carcinoma of adrenal cortex.
• 3. Treatment with excessive dose of ACTH which
  stimulates A.cortex excessively.
• 4. Treatment with excessive GCs can also cause
  Cushings syndrome.

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symptoms

• there is redistribution of fat in abnormal manner
  (pot belly)
• Obesity affecting the face
• The muscles become weak bcos of protein
  depletion.
• Osteoporosis develops and bones become
  susceptable to fracture.
• Hyperglycemia ? due to gluconeogenesis
• Hyperglycemia leads to glucosuria and adrenal
  diabetes.
• Hypertension.

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Addisons disease

• Causes- failure of a.cortex to secrete
  corticosteroids occurs due to the following
• 1. atrophy of A.cortex due to autoimmune diseases
• 2. destruction of the gland during TB
• 3. destruction of hormone secreting cells in
  A.cortex by malignant tissues.
• 4. congenital failure to secrete cortisol
• 5. failure of anterior pituitary
• 6. lesion in area of hypathalamus where
  corticotropin releasing hormone is produced.

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Signs and symptoms

• Pigmentation of skin mucus membrane
• Muscular weakness
• Hypotension
• Hypoglycemia
• Nausea, vomitting diarrhea (if prolonged leads
  to dehydration loss of body wt.)
• Susceptibility to any type of infection and
• Inability to withstand any stress
• ?cardiac output and decreased workload of the
  heart leading to decrease in the size of heart.