title: Neurologic complications of disorders of the adrenal glands.
abstract: Disorders of the adrenal glands frequently have secondary neurological manifestations, while some diseases that involve the central nervous system are accompanied by adrenal gland dysfunction. Excessive corticosteroid secretions in primary or secondary Cushing's syndrome causes muscle weakness and behavioral disturbances, such as emotional lability and sometimes depression, while adrenal insufficiency may cause fatigue, weakness, and depression. Adrenoleukodystrophy and adrenoneuromyelopathy are X-linked recessive disorders of the metabolism of very long chain fatty acids that manifest with white matter abnormalities of the brain, myelopathy and/or neuropathy, as well as adrenal insufficiency. Other disorders of the adrenal glands include hyperaldosteroidism, which may cause weakness from hypokalemia. Dysfunction of the adrenal medulla causes excessive or deficient secretion of catecholamines, primarily causing cardiovascular symptoms. This chapter reviews the clinical manifestations and diagnostic aspects and treatment of the various disorders of the adrenal glands. Some of the congenital adrenal diseases are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Methodist University Hospital and Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA. Electronic address: tbertorini@aol.com.
authors.forename: Tulio E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Bertorini
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perez
mesh_terms: D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Addison’s disease; Allgrove or triple A syndrome; Cushing’s syndrome; Kearns–Sayre syndrome; Von Hippel–Lindau disease; adrenal insufficiency; congenital adrenal hypoplasia; familial glucocorticoid deficiency; pheochromocytoma; pituitary apoplexy