Melson's syndrome is a disorder that occurs in about one in four patients who have had both adrenal glands removed to treat extreme slackness.

[1] In patients with pre-existing adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenomas, loss of adrenal feedback following bilateral adrenalectomy can trigger the rapid growth of the tumor, leading to visual symptoms (e.g. bitemporal hemianopsia) and hyperpigmentation.

[2] Within the past ten to twenty years, improvements have been made identification and care for patients with Cushing's disease.

Techniques such as pituitary radiation therapy, ACTH assay, transsphenoidal pituitary surgery, higher resolution MRIs, and sampling of the inferior petrosal sinus have allowed physicians to pursue routes for Cushing's syndrome therapy prior to consideration of bilateral adrenalectomy.

[6] Overall, not all patients that have had total bilateral adrenalectomy develop Nelson's syndrome, which makes the mechanism harder to understand for such a rare disease.

[10] Common diagnostic techniques include: [11] Blood samples are assessed for the absence or presence of aldosterone and cortisol.

[5] Recent advancements in high-resolution MRIs allow for adenomas to be detected during the early stages of Nelson syndrome.

[citation needed] Common treatments for Nelson's syndrome include radiation or surgical procedure.

[2] The tumor can also compress the optic apparatus, disturb cerebrospinal fluid flow, meningitis, and testicular enlargement in rare cases.

[2] Through multiple advancements within the medical field, caregivers have been able to stray away from utilizing bilateral adrenalectomy as the treatment for Cushing's disease.