DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.
The adrenal glands (suprarenal glandulae) are arranged in pairs. They lie retroperitoneally in the shape of a cap against the upper poles of the kidneys and are separated from these only by a delicate layer of fat. Like the kidneys, the left adrenal gland is about one vertebral body higher than the right adrenal gland (height BWK 12 versus 11). Kidney and adrenal gland are both enclosed by the fascia renalis (Gerota's fascia) and sheathed by the capsula adiposa. During embryonic development, the kidneys rise cranially toward the adrenals. Therefore, even in the presence of a pelvic kidney (e.g., in cachectic or anorectic patients), the adrenal glands are found unchanged in place high retroperitoneally. The adrenal glands are more intensely yellow and firmer than the surrounding adipose tissue.
The adrenal glands weigh about 3-6 grams (with a size of 5 × 2.5 × 1 cm). They produce a variety of hormones and are integrated into highly complex regulatory circuits and biochemical processes. Diseases of the adrenal glands can therefore cause the most severe systemic clinical pictures. A common clinical feature is often arterial hypertension. The left crescent-shaped adrenal gland is somewhat larger and heavier than the right more triangular-shaped one. The dorsal sides of both adrenals lie against the diaphragm. The facies anterior of the right adrenal nestles in the liver (impressio suprarenalis), likewise it is fused with the inferior vena cava in connective tissue. The facies anterior of the left adrenal gland adjoins the bursa omentalis and the upper margin of the tail of the pancreas. Of the right adrenal gland, only a small caudal portion is covered with peritoneum parietale; of the left adrenal gland, the entire anterior surface is covered. In the case of tumor formation, hormone excess can occur and, accordingly, very typical clinical clinical pictures.
The leading symptom for adrenal diseases, whether cortex or medulla is the cause, is arterial hypertension, although the adrenal glands are the cause in only about 2% of cases of hypertension.
