Conservative Treatment for Idiopathic Adrenal Hemorrhage Tracked by a Long-term Series of CT Images.

A 55-year-old man was transported to our hospital after a sudden onset of left lower abdominal pain while driving. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdominal region revealed an extensive iso-intense signal region that had a maximum area of 14×15 cm, which we treated conservatively. A series of follow-up CT images showed the gradual decrease of the left peritoneal mass, while continuity with the left adrenal gland became apparent. He was diagnosed with idiopathic adrenal hemorrhage. Adrenal hemorrhage presenting with huge retroperitoneal tumors is rare, and most cases are treated surgically. Therefore, CT images with conservative treatment are rare, holding both clinical interest and significance.

Virilism and Ectopic Expression of HSD17B5 in Mature Cystic Teratoma.

Mature cystic teratoma (MCT) is rarely involved in the overproduction of steroid hormones in contrast to sex cord stromal tumors. A 31-year-old woman visited our hospital with hirsutism, hoarseness, and hair loss from the scalp. Serum testosterone and free-testosterone levels were 7.3 ng/ml and 2.3 pg/ml, respectively, which were markedly in excess of the age adjusted female standard levels. Basal blood levels of steroid hormones and serum levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone at 1 h after intravenous injection of adrenocorticotropic hormone demonstrated that 21-hydroxylase deficiency was not the underlying cause of her virilization. A subsequent chromosomal test with G-banding revealed a karyotype of 46XX. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a mass in the left ovary, which was subsequently diagnosed as MCT. Detailed pathological analysis of the tumor indicated that it was comprised of skin components, sweat glands, with hair and fat texture, glandular epithelium and fibrous connective tissue, consistent with the characteristic composition of MCT. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated marked immunoreactivity of 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD17B5), an enzyme that can convert androstenedione to testosterone. Following surgical removal of the tumor, testosterone and free testosterone levels were markedly decreased (0.3 ng/ml and 0.4 pg/ml, respectively) and other symptoms abated. In conclusion, this is the first report of an ovarian MCT associated with clinical virilization caused by the ectopic production of testosterone possibly because of an overexpression of intratumoral HSD17B5.

Adipsia increases risk of death in patients with central diabetes insipidus.

Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) is caused by deficiency of arginine vasopressin, an antidiuretic hormone. Patients with CDI manifest polyuria which is usually compensated for by increases in water intake. However, some patients are not able to sense thirst due to the destruction of osmoreceptors in the hypothalamus. These adipsic CDI patients are easily dehydrated and the consequent dehydration could be life-threatening. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognosis of adipsic CDI patients. We have reviewed 149 patients with CDI in three hospitals using databases of the electronic medical recording systems, and examined whether adipsia could affect the morbidity and mortality in CDI patients with multivariable analyses. Twenty-three patients with CDI were adipsic while the remaining 126 patients were non-adipsic. The multivariate analyses showed that the incidence of serious infections which required hospitalization was significantly higher in the adipsic CDI patients compared to that in non-adipsic CDI patients (p <0.001). A total of 6 patients with CDI died during the follow-up (median duration; 60 months, range 1 to 132 months). Four of them were adipsic, three of whom died of infection. The statistical analyses revealed that the risk of death in adipsic CDI patients was significantly higher than in non-adipsic patients (p =0.007). It is thus suggested that adipsic CDI patients were susceptible to serious infections which could be the causes of death.