title: Massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage from adrenal gland metastasis.
abstract: We report an unusual case of spontaneous massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage from an adrenal gland metastasis. After medical therapy failed to stabilize the patient's condition, surgical exploration revealed a large retroperitoneal hematoma arising from a right adrenal gland metastasis. At the time of thoracoabdominal exploration in the lower lobe of right lung a small tumor nodule was palpated and resected. Pathologic examination of both lung and abdominal lesions revealed squamous cell carcinoma thought to have been primary in the lung. A review of the literature reveals that metastatic lesions to the adrenal gland are infrequently encountered clinically and rarely hemorrhage; the first such case in which massive retroperitoneal hemorrhage was a complication is reported in the urologic literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sherrod
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Boswell
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Skinner
mesh_terms: D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space