There are two adrenal glands in the body, one on top of each kidney. The adrenal glands make hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism, response to stress, and water/salt balance. Adrenal cysts are sac-like pockets of membranous tissue that contain fluid. Most adrenal cysts are benign (non-cancerous), asymptomatic (do not cause symptoms) and do not require intervention. Possible symptoms, if any, can include abdominal discomfort or pain due to physical enlargement of the cyst and endocrine abnormalities (excessive production of hormones).
There are two adrenal glands in the body, one on top of each kidney. The adrenal glands make hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism, response to stress, and salt and water balance. Adrenal masses are growths inside these glands. In some individuals with bilateral findings (in both adrenal glands and not just one), the mass in one adrenal gland may be hormone-producing (functional) while the other is not. In addition, adrenal hypofunction (a deficiency of one or more hormones produced) may occur with bilateral adrenal masses.
An adrenal myelolipoma is a rare, usually unilateral (found in only one adrenal gland and not the other), benign (non-cancerous) tumor. It is composed of mature fat cells and interspersed hematopoietic cells (cells that give rise to other blood cells) that resemble bone marrow. On imaging, the presence of large amounts of fat in an adrenal mass is diagnostic of a myelolipoma. Most lesions are asymptomatic (do not cause symptoms) and may be discovered incidentally when the region is imaged for other reasons.
There are two adrenal glands in the body, one on top of each kidney. The adrenal glands make hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism, response to stress, and salt and water balance. Adrenal nodules are growths inside these glands and are estimated to be present in 1-9% of people. Although most adrenal nodules are usually asymptomatic (do not present symptoms), this finding raises two important questions that need to be answered to determine the appropriate evaluation and treatment - is the nodule functioning (producing excess hormones) and what is the likelihood that it can be cancerous?
Sometimes the salts and minerals in the urine can crystalize and form bladder stones. Factors that increase the risk of developing bladder stones include inflammation of the bladder caused by infections, foreign material present within the bladder, kidney stones, and underlying conditions (e.g. prostate gland enlargement, neurogenic bladder) that affect the bladder's ability to hold, store or eliminate urine. Most bladder stones less than or equal to 5 mm in diameter pass out of the body spontaneously and asymptomatically (with no symptoms). If a bladder stone does get stuck or irritates the bladder wall, it can cause symptoms of lower abdominal pain, difficulty urinating or interrupted urine flow, bloody urine, and painful or frequent urination.
There are several possible causes of bladder wall calcification including cystitis (inflammation of the bladder), radiation to the area, schistosomiasis (a disease caused by parasitic worms that live in infested water located in tropical and subtropical regions), tuberculosis, and neoplasia (cancerous or non-cancerous growth). A diagnosis can usually be obtained from a combination of history, clinical examination, appropriate laboratory studies, and imaging of the bladder calcification and remaining urinary tract.
