Adrenal Flashcards
normal appearance of adrenals
Lie above the kidneys in an anteromedial position
Form a cap or inverted V over the kidneys
Most easily seen until about 1 month of age
Rt gland seen better than Lt
Have a V or Y configuration
adrenal gland is large in neonate due to
presence of fetal zone in the cortex, that involutes after birth
Three factors that make adrenals easy to visualize in neonates:
Proportionally larger than adult glands (1/3 vs 1/13 of kidney size)
Scarcity of perirenal fat allows better image resolution than the abundance of fatty tissue in the adult
Closer to the skin surface, which permits the use of higher frequency transducers
sono appearance of adrenal
echogenic medulla surrounded by the hypoechoic cortex
challenges of the adrenals
Small size in older children
Obesity
Overlying bowel gas
It is common to scan the adrenals in multiple planes in order to visualize it in its entirety
Adrenal Gland Functions
Two endocrine glands in one organ
Important hormone secretion function
Essential to life
two catecholamines made by medulla
Epinephrine (adrenalin)(80%)
Norepinephrine (noradrenalin)
hormones from the adrenals do what
hormones accelerate heart rate, increase blood pressure, accelerate respiratory rate, increase blood sugar levels, etc.
3 adrenal tumors
Neuroblastoma
Adrenocortical carcinoma
Pheochromocytoma
can sonography differentiate tumor types
no
characteristics of Ganglioneurblastoma and ganglioneuroma
incidental finding on routine exams or chest x-rays
moderately malignant to completely benign
might be an asymptomatic mass
Neuroblastoma clinical presentation (8)
Palpable mass Other symptoms Fever Weight loss Irritability Hypertention Abdo distention Spreads rapidly to other organs
prognosis is better for who
better in neonates and young infants vs. older children
where can adrenal tumours arise from
These tumours can arise from sympathetic ganglia in abdomen, pelvis, chest, neck.
neuroblastoma sono (6)
Echogenic mass Poorly defined borders Calcifications with PAS Areas of necrosis (hypoechoic) Displaced kidney Mets – often at presentation
