Ectopic adrenal tissue, defined as the formation of adrenal tissue in an abnormal anatomical location, is not a rare entity and may have clinical significance. Even though the mechanism for their emergence has not been fully understood, numerous cases of ectopic adrenal tissues have been reported, mostly in the vicinity of the original location of adrenal gland, such as in kidneys and gonads. In these cases, their emergence was attributed to a probable migration defect by most of the authors. On the other hand, this mechanism does not simply explain the ectopic tissues in remote locations, such as hypophysis and lungs. This review brings together the reports describing many different locations in which ectopic adrenal tissues were encountered together with their speculated mechanisms.
Keywords: Ectopic adrenal, adrenocortical, heterotopia; choristoma; adrenal rest