ABSTRACT
Anatomy The weight of a normal adrenal gland is approximately 4 g. There are two distinct components of the gland: the inner adrenal medulla and the outer adrenal cortex (Fig. 49.1). The adrenal glands are situated at the upper poles of the kidneys in the retroperitoneum within Gerota’s capsule. The right adrenal gland is located between the right liver lobe and the diaphragm, close to and partly behind the inferior vena cava. The left adrenal gland lies on the upper pole of the left kidney and reaches the renal pedicle. It is covered by the pancreatic tail and the spleen (Fig. 49.2).
