Adrenal Adenoma symptoms are very difficult to detect, one of the main reasons is in instances where a tumour may be benign is that external symptoms (as in those that can be detected by a patient) are normally nonexistent. In fact, may adrenal adenomas that are of a benign nature are found entirely by other means. An example of this may be a CT scan to assess a cirrhosis of the liver that detects a growth on the adrenal gland. In fact, there are some medical professionals that feel that adrenal adenoma may not be as rare as initially suspected, but only that the benign form is gnerally outwardly asymptomatic and will only be detected should a problem arise. Still, let us look at some indicators that may be a problem; both from an asymptomatic point of view as well as from the perspective of a tumour that has become active.
Assuming that no other signs are detected and a patient goes into a clinic for routine blood work, higher levels of a hormone called cortisol may be noted. However, this may not normally present itself during a normal blood test (a type of this test can be referred to as a complete blood count, or CBC for short). A more detailed examination will normally be administered of an adrenal adenoma is thought to be present (as a result of an imaging test, for example). Should higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol be detected, this is considered one of the most important symptoms to note. Once again, this will generally signal a tumour that may have become active.
However, most symptoms of an over-production of cortisol will appear gradually and be difficult to detect from a patient's point of view. Over time, this condition can develop and manifest noticeable symptoms, some of the more unique to adrenal adenoma can include:
As can be noted, these are often considered to be very nonspecific signs that there may be a problem. This is one of the reasons that adrenal adenoma has been misdiagnosed in the past. Any one of these symptoms in and of itself may signify very little. However, if this entire range or even a handful present themselves, it is a wise idea to head to a physician and enquire as to the possibility of adrenal adenoma.
One particular feature that is worth touching upon but not in great detail is the instance when a tumour becomes malignant and develops into a cancer. While cancer is an entirely different disease and a wealth of information is available, there may be times when a adrenal adenoma is not detected until these tumours reach an appreciable size. Thereafter, the patient may experience cancer-related symptoms such as fever, fatigue, general muscle aches and an elevated white blood cell count.
These symptoms should be taken quite seriously and tests that are performed will determine the extent of the malignancy and if the cancer has spread to any other surround areas.