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Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes 2019; 127(02/03): 81-83
DOI: 10.1055/a-0752-4176
Editorial
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Adrenal Gland: Central Relay in Health and Disease

Martin Reincke
1   Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
,
Felix Beuschlein
1   Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
2   Klinik für Endokrinologie, Diabetologie und Klinische Ernährung, Universitäts-Spital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
,
Stefan Bornstein
3   Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
,
Graeme Eisenhofer
3   Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
4   Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
,
Martin Fassnacht
5   Department of Internal Medicine I, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
,
Nicole Reisch
1   Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
,
Tracy Ann Williams
1   Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
6   Division of Internal Medicine and Hypertension, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 25 September 2018
revised 25 September 2018

accepted 28 September 2018

Publication Date:
27 February 2019 (online)

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Diseases of the adrenal gland are as important for the general practitioner as for the endocrine specialist. The high prevalence of some adrenal endocrinopathies, such as adrenal incidentalomas (1–2% of the population) and primary aldosteronism (6% of hypertensives), which affect millions of patients, makes adrenal diseases a relevant health issue. The high morbidity and mortality of some of the rarer adrenal diseases, i. e., Addison’s disease and Cushing’s syndrome ([Table 1]), make early detection and appropriate treatment such a challenge for the health care system.

Key words

Addison disease - congenital adrenal hyperplasia - Cushing’s syndrome - hypercortisolism - primary aldosteronism - adrenocortical carcinoma - pheochromocytoma - paraganglioma