Abstract
To determine whether the well-documented hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in depressed patients includes adrenal gland hypertrophy, adrenal gland size was evaluated by computed tomography. Assessments consisted of (1) global ratings by two radiologists ignorant of the diagnostic identity of the subjects and (2) calculation of adrenal volume. Of the 38 patients with major depression, 12 were rated as exhibiting adrenal hypertrophy. Adrenal volumes in the depressed patients were significantly increased when compared with those of normal controls. Adrenal gland size was not correlated with dexamethasone suppression test results, patient age, duration of the depressive episode, or depression severity. These results are concordant with the hypothesis that chronic corticotropin hypersecretion in depression results in adrenocortical hypertrophy. Adrenal gland enlargement may be a measure of cumulative lifetime depression.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 384-387 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Archives of General Psychiatry |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 1992 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Adrenal gland enlargement in major depression : A computed tomographic study. / Nemeroff, Charles; Ranga, K.; Krishnan, R.; Reed, Deborah; Leder, Richard; Beam, Craig; Dunnick, N. Reed.
In: Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 49, No. 5, 01.12.1992, p. 384-387.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Adrenal gland enlargement in major depression
T2 - A computed tomographic study
AU - Nemeroff, Charles
AU - Ranga, K.
AU - Krishnan, R.
AU - Reed, Deborah
AU - Leder, Richard
AU - Beam, Craig
AU - Dunnick, N. Reed
PY - 1992/12/1
Y1 - 1992/12/1
N2 - To determine whether the well-documented hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in depressed patients includes adrenal gland hypertrophy, adrenal gland size was evaluated by computed tomography. Assessments consisted of (1) global ratings by two radiologists ignorant of the diagnostic identity of the subjects and (2) calculation of adrenal volume. Of the 38 patients with major depression, 12 were rated as exhibiting adrenal hypertrophy. Adrenal volumes in the depressed patients were significantly increased when compared with those of normal controls. Adrenal gland size was not correlated with dexamethasone suppression test results, patient age, duration of the depressive episode, or depression severity. These results are concordant with the hypothesis that chronic corticotropin hypersecretion in depression results in adrenocortical hypertrophy. Adrenal gland enlargement may be a measure of cumulative lifetime depression.
AB - To determine whether the well-documented hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in depressed patients includes adrenal gland hypertrophy, adrenal gland size was evaluated by computed tomography. Assessments consisted of (1) global ratings by two radiologists ignorant of the diagnostic identity of the subjects and (2) calculation of adrenal volume. Of the 38 patients with major depression, 12 were rated as exhibiting adrenal hypertrophy. Adrenal volumes in the depressed patients were significantly increased when compared with those of normal controls. Adrenal gland size was not correlated with dexamethasone suppression test results, patient age, duration of the depressive episode, or depression severity. These results are concordant with the hypothesis that chronic corticotropin hypersecretion in depression results in adrenocortical hypertrophy. Adrenal gland enlargement may be a measure of cumulative lifetime depression.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0026654641&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 1586274
AN - SCOPUS:0026654641
VL - 49
SP - 384
EP - 387
JO - JAMA Psychiatry
JF - JAMA Psychiatry
SN - 2168-622X
IS - 5
ER -