Guide To The Causes Of Conn's Syndrome

Fluid Loss

An individual who has chronic fluid loss may develop Conn's syndrome as a result of their condition. One of the functions of the adrenal glands is to help the body when it is dehydrated. Dehydration occurs when less fluid is being consumed than is being excreted through the urine, sweat, feces, or vomit. Numerous factors can contribute to an individual's chronic dehydration or fluid loss, including infections, living conditions, malignancy, kidney problems, diarrhea, sweating too much, and urinating too much. When an individual loses too much fluid, the total blood volume decreases and causes a drop in blood pressure. Due to a decrease in blood pressure, blood does not make it to all of the tissues around the body. The kidneys filtering the blood receive signals from the brain indicating tissues are deprived of oxygen and there are low levels of sodium. Both processes tell the kidneys to produce more of a hormone called renin. Renin causes the activation of the hormone angiotensin, which then causes the adrenal glands to secrete more aldosterone. Chronic fluid loss triggers this cascade excessively, which can cause Conn's syndrome.

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Tumor On The Adrenal Gland

An individual may be affected by Conn's syndrome as a result of a growing tumor on their adrenal gland. The tumor may be a benign growth called an adenoma that produces excess amounts of aldosterone. Cancerous tumors growing in the adrenal gland may also produce excess aldosterone, but are statistically rare. The exact cause of adrenal adenoma is not clear, but it is thought aldosterone-producing adenomas initially form in the zona fasciculata. These tumors often feature a surrounding expansion of adrenal gland tissue with an absence of any concerning changes in the individual gland cells. It is suspected a clonal alteration occurs in a single cell within this expansion, which fosters the growth of or provides a growth advantage to the adenomatous tissue that forms a benign aldosterone-producing tumor. An adenoma that produces hormones is medically referred to as active or functioning. Inactive adenomas do not usually require treatment. However, active adenomas that cause the patient to have Conn's syndrome are treated by surgical excision or with certain medications.

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