CT diagnosis of adrenal abnormalities in patients with primary non-adrenal malignancies.
Fifty-seven patients with primary non-adrenal malignancy were found to have unsuspected adrenal abnormality on CT. In 33, comparison of histopathologic findings and/or the patients' hospital course or follow-up lead to the diagnosis of adrenal metastases (23), benign non-functioning adenomas (7), metastasis with hyperplasia (1), benign hyperplasia (1), and fatty infiltration (1). The analysis of CT findings indicated that: I) A heterogeneous adrenal mass showing contrast enhancement was always metastatic, II) Nonfunctioning adenomas were always 3 cm or smaller in diameter, III) Bilateral adrenal masses and growth of adrenal mass on follow-up CT or regression on treatment indicated metastases, and IV) metastatic disease could not be excluded purely on the basis of the size of the adrenal mass.
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary*; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed