Home :: Family Health :: Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia - Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia symptom, treatment, causes
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia is an inherited lack of enzymes needed by the adrenal glands (located at the upper end of each kidney) to make cortisone, and sometimes other adrenal hormones that control the body's salt and water balance. Because their is no cortisone in an effected foetus's blood, its piyuitary gland produces hormones that stimulate the adrenal glands to grow larger ('hyperplasis' means overgrowth) and work harder. The result is that it produces more and more of all its hormones except cortisones.
Information on Adrenal Hyperplasia
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia condition is also known as adrenogenital syndrome. Overproduction of male sex hormones by the adrenal gland leads to masculinisation of the external genitals of both sexes. In girls the clitoris may be so enlarged as to resemble a penis, and the labia (lips of the female external genitals) may be partly or wholly fused like a scrotum. If sex is identified only by looking at the genitals, the infant may be thought to be male, even though it has normal female chromosomes, ovaries and all other females internal reproductive organs.
Many infants with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia are also unable to conserve salt and usually become severely ill during the first few days after birth. Early diagnosis and treatment of Adrenal Hyperplasia are needed to save the baby's life. Treatment with cortisone and any other deficient hormones must begin at once and continue throughout life to suppress adrenal hyperactivity. Plastic surgery is usually needed to restore the external genitals of girls to normal female appearence and funtion.
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