title: Adrenal myelolipomas in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: review of the literature and a case report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the association between congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and adrenal myelolipomas and report a case of bilateral, giant adrenal myelolipomas in a patient with untreated CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  We describe the patient's clinical presentation, imaging findings, and laboratory test results and review the relevant English-language literature concerning patients with both CAH and myelolipomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 45-year-old man with untreated CAH due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency presented with increasing abdominal girth and abdominal pain. Computed tomography of the abdomen demonstrated very low-density adrenal masses (22 × 11 cm on the left side and 6 × 5.5-cm on the right side) consistent with adrenal myelolipomas. The left adrenal myelolipoma was resected (24.4 × 19.0 × 9.5 cm; 2557 g). The mass was composed of mature adipose tissue with areas of hematopoietic cells of myeloid, erythroid, and megakaryocytic cell lines. Islands of adrenal cortical cells were scattered between the adipose and hematopoietic tissue. Including the present case, we identified 31 patients with both CAH and myelolipomas who have been described in the English-language literature. The details of these cases were reviewed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Persons with CAH may be at increased risk of developing adrenal myelolipomas, particularly if their CAH is poorly controlled. How and whether chronic exposure of the adrenal glands to high corticotropin levels increases the risk of developing myelolipomas remains a matter of speculation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, LA, USA.
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: German-Mena
authors.forename: Gazi B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Zibari
authors.forename: Steven N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Levine
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000312:Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018209:Myelolipoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery