The surgery of the adrenal glands.

The adrenal glands are essential to life. Surgical treatment is governed by whether one or both the glands is involved. Both the cortex and medulla of each gland exercise important physiological functions. When diseased, they give rise to clear-cut endocrine syndromes, but the clinical picture may become obscured by polyglandular interaction. Adrenal disease, as a consequence, is diagnosed earlier when these effects are present, and usually late when they are absent or obscured.