Adrenal tumor

An adrenal tumor, or adrenal mass, is any benign or malignant growth arising in the adrenal glands, the small hormone-producing organs that sit atop each kidney. Because the adrenal gland normally manufactures hormones such as cortisol, aldosterone and adrenaline, several of these tumors are notable less for their size than for overproducing one of those hormones, which can cause symptoms far from the gland itself, including high blood pressure, rapid weight gain, or a racing heartbeat. Most adrenocortical adenomas and most pheochromocytomas are benign, meaning they do not invade nearby tissue or spread elsewhere in the body, though they may still cause significant illness by disrupting hormone balance. Adrenal cancer, by contrast, describes the malignant forms, which include neuroblastoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, and a minority of pheochromocytomas, and which can invade surrounding structures or metastasize. Diagnosis typically combines hormone testing with imaging of the gland, and treatment ranges from monitoring to surgical removal depending on whether the tumor is functioning, its size, and whether malignancy is suspected.