Incidentally-discovered adrenal masses.
Unanticipated adrenal masses are frequently encountered in modern, high resolution diagnostic imaging. Most often, these masses are benign adrenal adenomas, but when detected they necessitate a clinical evaluation sufficient to exclude subclinical endocrine disease, primary adrenal cancer, and remote metastases to the adrenal glands from other malignancies. These "incidentally-discovered" adrenal masses or so-called "adrenal incidentalomas" can be further evaluated with CT, MRI, and nuclear medicine imaging techniques. A substantial literature supports the use of each of these modalities to non-invasively characterize these neoplasms that have been considered by some as a 'disease' of modern imaging technology.
Gross
Milton D
MD
Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105, USA. mdgross@med.umich.edu
Korobkin
Melvyn
M
Bou-Assaly
Wessam
W
Rubello
Domenico
D
D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed