December 18, 2025
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December 18, 2025

What an MRI Might Tell You About Your Adrenal Glands

Adrenal Glands Health
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MRI
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Reviewed By:
Dr Cassie Hopton
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What an MRI Might Tell You About Your Adrenal Glands

Contents

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The two adrenal glands, located just above your kidneys, work hard to secrete and regulate vital hormones in your body. However, when excessive or inhibited hormone production by these tiny organs occurs, a multitude of health issues may arise1.

Benign tumours in the adrenal glands, called adrenal adenomas, have the potential to cause disruptions in the endocrine system (which regulates all biological processes in your body). Adrenal adenomas are usually benign, although some are capable of becoming precancerous or cancerous2.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans, among other imaging modalities, are helpful in monitoring and diagnosing adrenal lesions before they become cancerous.

Where are the Adrenal Glands Located?

You have two adrenal glands, one located at the top of each kidney. They are small, yellowish, triangular-shaped soft tissue organs. As part of your body’s endocrine system, they produce hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. These hormones support metabolism, immune function, and blood pressure regulation in the body.

Each adrenal gland is divided into two parts. The adrenal medulla is at the centre of the gland, and the adrenal cortex forms the outer part of the gland1.

What Is an MRI of the Adrenal Glands? 

An MRI of the adrenal glands involves using magnetic resonance imaging to scan the patient’s abdomen and examine for adrenal lesions, which are abnormalities in the adrenal gland2.

The scan takes about an hour. It utilises magnetic fields and radio waves to generate high-resolution, 3D images of body structures, including adrenal lesions. A radiologist may inject a contrast enhancement dye into the patient to enhance the imaging results3.

MRI is used to both diagnose and differentiate between cancerous and benign adrenal lesions. Benign adrenal lesions are known as adrenal adenomas. Differentiation between adrenal lesions is crucial to patients, as it directly affects prognosis and treatment4. 

Adrenal gland MRI for inspecting adrenal adenomas is safe and highly effective. Compared to enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans, this method does not use radiation, and it is often considered the first choice in imaging for young patients and breastfeeding mothers3.

Why You Might Need To Get an MRI of the Adrenal Glands

Adrenal lesions may represent benign conditions or cancerous conditions5.

An adrenal MRI becomes important when the results of a CT scan of the adrenal adenomas are inconclusive. Imaging findings from an MRI may be more accurate than CT scans and CT images in identifying certain cancers. This enhanced accuracy results from MRI’s ability to provide greater soft tissue contrast4.

Disorders and Diseases of the Adrenal Glands

Adrenal gland disorders happen when either the left adrenal gland or the right adrenal gland ceases to function as it should. These disorders are classified as either too much or too little hormone production. Adrenal disorders arise from disease, genetic mutation, tumour, or infection.

Diseases of the adrenal gland What is it?
Adrenal adenomas Common, non-cancerous (benign) tumours. Adrenal adenomas found in imaging results are referred to as adrenal incidentalomas2.
Cushing’s syndrome Too much cortisol in the body, possibly caused by an adrenal tumour8.
Pheochromocytoma A tumour that develops in the adrenal medulla7.
Adrenal cortical cancer An adrenal cancer. Tumours form in the cortex of the adrenal glands8.
Addison’s disease Occurs when the adrenals produce too little cortisol or too little aldosterone9.
Conn’s syndrome, also known as hyperaldosteronism Occurs when the adrenal glands overproduce aldosterone10.

Additional Testing for Adrenal Disorders

Besides an MRI scan, other diagnostic and imaging tests may aid the characterisation of adrenal lesions9,11:

  • Blood and Urine tests: Used to screen for pheochromocytoma (adrenal medulla tumours), Cushing’s syndrome, and Conn’s syndrome.
  • X-ray: A doctor may request an X-ray to determine whether cancer may have spread to the surrounding chest area or blood vessels.
  • Laparoscopy: During this procedure, an instrument with a camera (a laparoscope) is inserted into the patient, allowing the doctor to view the adrenal glands without having to do surgery.
    CT scan: A CT scan examines for cancerous lesions throughout the body, locates areas of calcification in the adrenal glands, and may help determine whether surgery for adrenal cancer is necessary. However, CT scan results are less clear than MRI imaging and use radiation. 
  • Ultrasound: This soundwave-based scan is used wherever a CT scan is inadvisable. It inspects cancerous adrenal glands for malignancy and spread.
  • PET: Positron emission tomography (PET) may help determine whether a metastatic adrenal tumour is benign or malignant.
  • Biopsy: By inspecting a tissue sample from the adrenal glands, a doctor may be able to confirm the presence of cancer and identify its type and malignancy.

MRI of the Adrenal Gland: Diagnosis vs. Prevention

Cancer prevention aims to detect health issues before symptoms develop. There are three levels of cancer prevention12:

  • Primary: Reversing or inhibiting cancer progression through modifications in the patient’s diet and or lifestyle (e.g., quitting smoking)
  • Secondary: Screening and testing to detect cancer at the earliest possible stage. This is where MRI, CT, and other radiology testing come in. Ezra’s multi-organ MRI scan is an example of this prevention stage.
  • Tertiary: For patients who have already been diagnosed with cancer and are candidates for screening for secondary malignancies.

Cancer diagnosis happens in the secondary and tertiary levels of cancer prevention, where a medical professional verifies that a patient has malignant lesions in a specific organ.

Investing in primary and secondary cancer prevention steps, and crafting a healthy lifestyle for yourself, along with regular cancer screening, may drastically lower the possibility of undergoing tertiary prevention or surgery.

MRI for Your Adrenal Glands: A Vital Step in Your Routine Care

Your adrenal glands are small yet vital organs. Unfortunately, you cannot prevent cancer. The good news is that screening tests can find some cancers early. The difference between cancer diagnosis and cancer prevention is the difference between finding out whether something has happened and trying to prevent that something from happening.

Making healthy lifestyle choices and conducting regular checkups of the whole body leads to long-lasting health. Repeat screenings help health professionals monitor a patient’s body across time, allowing them to follow up on a patient’s well-being and detect abnormalities in the adrenal glands and surrounding organs early. These proactive measures may lead to lifesaving consequences.

Ezra’s MRI scan screens your adrenal glands and 13 other organs in less than an hour for cancer and over 500 other conditions. If you’re interested in being proactive about your health, consider booking a scan today.

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References

1. Rosol TJ, Yarrington JT, Latendresse J, Capen CC. Adrenal Gland: Structure, Function, and Mechanisms of Toxicity. Toxicol Pathol. 2001;29(1):41-48. doi:10.1080/019262301301418847 

2. Williamson R, Jackson S, Strachan M. Investigation and follow-up of incidental adrenal mass. NHS. 2022. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.rightdecisions.scot.nhs.uk/nhs-borders-clinical-guidelines/adult-acute-services/diabetes-and-endocrinology/investigation-and-follow-up-of-incidental-adrenal-mass/  

3. Ross J. MRI Scan: Uses, procedure, what to expect. Bupa UK. January 31, 2023. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/surgery-and-procedures/mri-scan  

4. Albano D, Agnello F, Midiri F, et al. Imaging features of adrenal masses. Insights Imaging. 2019;10(1):1. doi:10.1186/s13244-019-0688-8 

5. Viëtor CL, Creemers SG, van Kemenade FJ, van Ginhoven TM, Hofland LJ, Feelders RA. How to Differentiate Benign from Malignant Adrenocortical Tumors? Cancers. 2021;13(17):4383. doi:10.3390/cancers13174383 

6. NHS. Cushing’s syndrome. NHS. 2025. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cushings-syndrome/  

7. Cancer Research UK. What are phaeochromocytomas? Cancer Research UK. 2025. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/adrenal-gland-cancer/phaeochromocytoma/about  

8. Cancer Research UK. Getting diagnosed and stages of adrenal cortical cancer. Cancer Research UK. 2025. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/adrenal-gland-cancer/adrenal-cortical-cancer/diagnosing  

9. NHS. Addison’s disease. NHS. 2025. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/addisons-disease/  

10. Vincent P, McKechnie D. Hyperaldosteronism. 2025. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://patient.info/doctor/endocrine-disorders/hyperaldosteronism  

11. Fassnacht M, Tsagarakis S, Terzolo M, et al. European Society of Endocrinology clinical practice guidelines on the management of adrenal incidentalomas, in collaboration with the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors. Eur J Endocrinol. 2023;189(1):G1-G42. doi:10.1093/ejendo/lvad066 

12. Medical Research Council. UK Primary Prevention Report. Medical Research Council; 2018:1-39. Accessed December 18, 2025. https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MRC-010221-MRC-UK-Primary-Prevention-Report.pdf