Enkephalins and enkephalin-containing polypeptides were released from perfused bovine adrenal glands by nicotine and Ba2+, agents that release catecholamines. All the enkephalin-containing polypeptides that are normally found in the adrenal medulla were released by the two secretagogues in approximately the same proportions as are present in adrenal chromaffin granules.

Adrenal histoplasmosis in Cushing's syndrome of adrenal origin is rare. A patient with Cushing's disease with bilateral nodular hyperplasia and histoplasmosis of both the adrenal glands is described. The diagnosis of histoplasmosis was only made post operatively as the constitutional manifestations, besides being partially masked by hypercortisolism also resemble those of tuberculosis.

In thalassemia major (TM) patients, impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis secondary to hemosiderosis of the pituitary gland and/or adrenal glands is well established. In TM, hypocortisolism is paucisymptomatic or causes nonspecific symptoms. Although adrenal insufficiency (AI) is rare; an acute crisis may occur in the event of acute cardiac decompensation, stress, or sepsi...

Although the adrenal glands were anatomically identified nearly 450 yr ago, their vital role in physiology was not established until considerably later (1). We now know that the adrenal glands, despite their miniature size, play an indispensable role in homeostatic functions ranging from regulation of ion balances to being a final site of integration for the stress response. When considering th...

Histoplasmosis infection is endemic in Asia and disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) is one form of its presentation (Benevides et al., 2007[1]). DH commonly affects both adrenal glands. We describe a case of disseminated histoplasmosis complicated with hypercalcaemia in a 75-year-old immunosuppressed patient who presented with bilateral adrenal masses. The fine needle aspiration cytology of the ad...

Key Points:  A paracostal approach allows excellent visualization of the adrenal glands, especially on the right side. This approach may be most useful in right side adrenalectomies, especially in larger dogs.  In select cases, partial adrenalectomy is an option to preserve adrenal function postoperatively. Minimally disruption of the adrenal remnant is important to prevent damage to the rema...

Adrenal insufficiency is a rare manifestation of tissue-invasive cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease. CMV is one of the leading opportunistic pathogens affecting renal transplant recipients. Its prevalence in the adrenal glands of autopsied AIDS cases has been well documented. We report a rare case of CMV-associated adrenal insufficiency in a renal transplant recipient.

The relation between adrenal cholesterol synthesis and ultrastructural changes was studied in rat adrenal glands stimulated by 4-aminopyrazolopyrimidine (4-APP). Ultrastructural observations were focused on the inner fasciculata-reticularis (Zone I) and the outer fasciculata (Zone O) of the adrenal glands. Zone I in 4-APP-treated rat adrenals had increased tubules and vesicles in the smooth end...

Cryptococcosis usually occurs in immunocompromised patients and can cause enlargement of the adrenal glands, although the morphologic changes after treatment have not been reported in detail. We report the case of 24-year-old man with fevers, headaches, and impaired consciousness who had been treated with glucocorticoids for a protein-losing gastroenteropathy. The cerebrospinal fluid analysis r...

Adrenal hypoplasia is an invariable finding in infants with anencephaly. Hypoplastic adrenal glands have been described in infancy associated with congenital hypoplasia of the pituitary gland (Mosier, 1956). S;kl (1948) was probably the first author to describe congenital adrenal hypoplasia unassociated with other congenital abnormalities, though he mentions some similar cases described by earl...