Abdomen Sonography: Adrenal Glands - Video Lesson

Hey everyone, welcome back to our lessons in abdominal ultrasound. In today's lesson, we'll take a closer look at the adrenal glands, small but vital endocrine organs located above each kidney. We'll review their anatomy, size, and location in both adults and pediatric patients, explore their hormone producing functions, and discuss how their sonographic appearance varies across different age groups. The adrenal glands are small but powerful endocrine organs located on top of each kidney. Though they're often hard to visualize in adults, they play a major role in hormone regulation and can be more clearly seen in pediatric and neonatal patients. Each adrenal gland sits superior and slightly medial to the upper pole of the kidney, nestled within Gayrotta's fascia and surrounded by perinephric fat. They are retroperitoneal structures that lie just lateral to the aorta and inferior vena cava or IVC. The right adrenal gland is typically triangular or