title: [Update in adrenal imaging].
abstract: Subclinical adrenocortical adenomas are the most frequent cause of adrenal incidentalomas that are present in 5 % of adult abdominal imaging. Pheochromocytomas and adrenocortical carcinomas, less often encountered tumors, should be diagnosed at an early stage. Unenhanced density with computed tomography below 10 Hounsfield Units (HU) is in favor of an adrenocortical adenoma. Higher unenhanced density should lead to a characterization of the vascularization with contrast-enhanced washout study. Some adrenal masses remain indeterminate after computed tomography scanning. Further diagnostic imaging performed by a multidisciplinary team is required. Progress has been made recently in the characterization of adrenal mass with nuclear medicine imaging. Flurodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan is a useful tool to suspect malignancy. Up-to-date imaging allows in the majority of cases to properly diagnose an adrenal tumor.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Cochin, service de médecine nucléaire, 75014 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tenenbaum
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Cochin, service de radiologie, 75014 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Marine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lataud
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Cochin, service d'endocrinologie et maladies métaboliques, 75014 Paris, France. Electronic address: lionel.groussin@cch.aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Groussin
mesh_terms: D000306:Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018246:Adrenocortical Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media