Specialists at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital have a national reputation for the treatment of children with adrenal disorders, including congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Our full range of care, coupled with leading-edge research, results in superior outcomes for children receiving treatment at the university. The Center for Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and Disorders of Sex Development opened here in 2005 and today offers treatment for these complex and rare disorders. It was the first clinic in the United States in which providers from many specialties work together in a single clinic location to care for patients with these disorders.
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and make hormones such as cortisol (a stress hormone), aldosterone (a salt retaining hormone), and sex hormones such as androgen (testosterone) and estrogen. In children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), the adrenals do not make cortisol and, in some cases, aldosterone, which can be life-threatening if untreated or during periods of physical stress (illness, trauma, broken bones) when our body needs these hormones the most. Sometimes, the adrenal glands produce excess sex hormones which can lead to atypical genitalia, early puberty, advance bone maturation and short stature.
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Our Care Team
Kiki Sarafoglou, MD
Pediatric Endocrinologist
Carrie A. Terrell, MD, FACOG
Obstetrician/Gynecologist