Clinical features of 18 patients with adrenocortical oncocytoma / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the clinical features of adrenocortical oncocytoma for better understanding. Methods A total of 586 patients with adrenal cortical adenoma were retrospectively analyzed in our hospital from January 1993 to November 2009, in which 18 were diagnosed as adrenal cortical oncocytoma pathologically, with 7 male and 11 female, aged ( 45.5 ± 15.9 ) years, and the disease course of( 13.3 ± 13.1 )months. Results 6 patients suffered from Cushing's syndrome, 2 primary hyperaldosteronism, 1 had clinical features of both Cushing's syndrome and primary hyperaldosteronism, and 9 were nonfunctional. 4 cases were misdiagnosed as pheochromocytoma preoperatively. All 18 patients were diagnosed by B-mode ultrasound and operation ( 13 by laparoscopy, 5 by laparotomy). 11 tumors were located in the left adrenal while 7 in the right, with the average tumor size of 5.6 cm in diameter. Histopathologically, 1 was oncocytic adrenocortical carcinoma, while 17 were adrenocortical oncocytoma, in which 5 were potentially malignant and 12 were benign. 11 patients were followed up for 20.5±20.1 months. 2 patients were dead, and 9 were alive with tumor recurrence in 1 case.ConclusionsAdrenocortical oncocytoma is a pathological diagnosis and the clinical manifestations are various. The tumors are usually large in size, and can easily be found by ultrasound, but may be wrongly diagnosed as pheochromocytoma.Being different from previous reports, the majority of these patients present with endocrine dysfunction. Most of these cases are benign, but malignant potential is obvious. Therefore,follow-up is very important.