Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Adenoma overview
Introduction
Overview
Overview
An adenoma is a collection of growths (-oma) of glandular origin. Adenomas can grow from many organs including the colon, adrenal, pituitary, thyroid, etc. These growths are benign, although over time they may progress to become malignant (at which point they are called adenocarcinomas). Though adenomas are benign, they may unfortunately cause serious health complications by compressing other structures (mass effect) and by producing large amounts of hormones in an unregulated, non-feedback dependent manner (paraneoplastic syndrome).
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]