ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The prevalence of adrenal incidentalomas is increasing with the aging of the population and the use of high resolution imaging technics. Current protocols propose a comprehensive monitoring of their functional and morphological state, but with no conclusive clinical evidence that endorses it. METHOD: Retrospective study of 96 patients diagnosed with adrenal incidentaloma between 2008 and 2012. We evaluated clinical, functional and imaging at baseline and during follow-up. RESULTS: Initially, 9 cases were surgically removed: 4 due to hyperfunction (2 Cushing syndromes and 2 pheochromocytomas) and 5 due to size larger than 4cm. During follow-up one case of pheochromocytoma was diagnosed and another grew more than 1cm, needing surgery. In 98.86% of nonfunctional and benign lesions, there was no functional and/or morphological changes in the final evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study challenge the validity of current diagnostic-therapeutic protocols of incidentalomas, which should be reassessed in prospective studies taking into account efficiency characteristics.
