Adrenal incidentalomas:clinical analysis of 52 cases / 中华泌尿外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To improve the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of adrenal incidentalomas for the optimal management of adrenal masses. Methods The clinical data of 52 cases (35 men and 17 women;mean age,42 years;age range,23-65 years) of adrenal incidentalomas was reviewed.Among them, 33 cases had tumors ≥ 3.0 cm in diameter.None of 52 cases had clinical symptoms and signs of hypertension and endocrine dysfunction.All of the tumors were incidentally found by ultrasonography or CT on regular physical examination.A series of blood chemical examinations (including electrolytes,adrenal cortical and medullary metabolic biochemistry),abdominal ultrasound and CT were performed in all 52 cases;and MRI,PET and  131 I-MIBG imaging were performed in 6,2 and 1 cases,respectively.Surgery and postoperative pathological study were performed in all. Results Postoperative pathology showed adrenocortical adenoma in 27 cases,adrenal metastatic carcinoma in 7,adrenal pheochromocytoma in 5,adrenal cyst in 4,primary aldosteronoma in 3,adrenal neurinoma in 2,adrenocortical carcinoma in 1,retroperitoneal neuroblastoma in 1,retroperitoneal primary lymphoma in 1 and adrenal ganglionic fibroma in 1.Diagnoses based on the results of imaging examinations and laboratory tests were correct in 14 cases (27%).Of the 10 patients with malignancies,5 with primary diseases died 6-10 months after chemotherapy and 5 were lost to follow-up.The remaining 42 patients were followed up for 6 months to 9 years with no evidence of recurrence. Conclusions Multidisciplinary approaches are required to identify and differentiate adrenal incidentalomas, and early surgical treatment is suggested.