title: Computer tomography imaging findings of adrenal cavernous hemangiomas: a report of 10 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cavernous hemangiomas (CHs) of the adrenal gland are extremely rare. To date, only a few studies of adrenal CH imaging have been reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the computed tomography (CT) imaging findings of adrenal CHs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten cases of adrenal CHs confirmed by a histopathological examination were retrospectively analyzed. All of the patients had undergone unenhanced and enhanced CT examinations, and eight had also undergone multiphase CT enhancement examinations. CT characteristics, including shape, size, margin, attenuation, and enhancement patterns, were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included six women and four men with a mean age of 49.2 years (age range, 25-62 years) and no signs of abnormal endocrine activity. The unenhanced CTs showed well-defined, heterogeneous (n = 8) or homogeneous (n = 2) density masses with scattered (n = 8) or spread calcifications (n = 2) in six tumors. In the contrast-enhanced CTs, seven tumors appeared to be marked with heterogeneous enhancement, whereas three cases exhibited no obvious enhancement. The evaluation of the pattern of dynamic enhancement in eight patients revealed that the tumors showed early peripheral enhancement (n = 4), early central enhancement (n = 1), and mixed enhancement (n = 1) with progressive partial filling-in, and no obvious enhancement in any phases (n = 2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adrenal CHs should be included in the differential diagnosis when an adrenal neoplasm is incidentally found and appears as a well-defined, heterogeneous mass with calcifications and various enhancement patterns, including heterogeneous enhancement with characteristic progressive partial filling-in, as well as lack of enhancement in any phase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Jun-Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, PR China Department of Radiology, Chinese People Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Chu-Lan
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, PR China.
authors.forename: You-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, NanChang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu-Han
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China zhangxuelin_2010@163.com.
authors.forename: Xue-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006392:Hemangioma, Cavernous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Cavernous hemangioma; adrenal gland; computed tomography (CT)