Bilateral, incidentally found adrenal tumours - results of observation of 1790 patients registered at a single endocrinological centre.
BACKGROUND
During the last 22 years we registered 1790 patients with incidentally found adrenal tumours (AI, adrenal incidentalomas). In 351 of them, bilateral tumours were detected. The aim of our study was to analyze the character of bilateral tumours and summarize the methods of their management.


METHODS
In the whole group of 1790 patients, there were 1311 women and 479 men, aged 11-87 years. The group of patients with bilateral adrenal tumours included 258 women and 93 men, 25-83 years old. Hormonal investigations and imaging examinations were performed to search for subclinical adrenal hyperfunction and to define the malignant potential of the tumours.


RESULTS
Sixty-nine patients were treated by surgery for oncological or endocrinological purposes (mainly pre-Cushing's syndrome). Histological findings included malignant tumours: metastases - 9, adrenal cancer - 7, and lymphomas - 5; and non-malignant tumours: adenomas - 24, nodular hyperplasia - 14, myelolipomas - 4, and pheochromocytomas - 4. Subclinical Cushing's syndrome was relatively more frequent in nodular hyperplasia (40%) than in adenomas (30%).


CONCLUSIONS
Indications for surgery were recommended in 20% of patients with bilateral AI, most frequently for adenomas, nodular hyperplasia, and oncological pathologies, with a good prognosis in the non-malignant group. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (1): 69-73).
Kasperlik-Załuska
Anna A
AA
Department of Endocrinology, Centre for Postgraduate Medical Education, Warszawa, Poland. anna@ultima.neostrada.pl
Słowińska-Srzednicka
Jadwiga
J
Rosłonowska
Elzbieta
E
Kochman
Magdalena
M
Jeske
Wojciech
W
Otto
Maciej
M
Cichocki
Andrzej
A
Słapa
Rafał Z
RZ
Zgliczyński
Wojciech
W
D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003480:Cushing Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult