Adrenal Cortex- All Hyper Conditions

The adrenal cortex can develop several hyperfunctioning conditions including Cushing syndrome from excess cortisol, primary hyperaldosteronism (Conn syndrome) from excess aldosterone, congenital adrenal hyperplasia from enzyme deficiencies, sex steroid-secreting tumors, and adrenocortical carcinoma, each producing distinct clinical syndromes based on which hormone is overproduced. These conditions are clinically significant because they cause substantial morbidity through hypertension, metabolic derangements, virilization or feminization, and in the case of malignancy can be life-threatening, yet many are curable if diagnosed and treated appropriately. Medical students must understand the specific hormonal pathways, recognize the characteristic clinical presentations such as moon facies and buffalo hump in Cushing syndrome or resistant hypertension with hypokalemia in Conn syndrome, and know the appropriate biochemical screening tests and confirmatory studies to efficiently diagnose and manage these conditions.