title: Acute adrenal insufficiency secondary to bilateral adrenal B-cell lymphoma: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Primary adrenal lymphoma is an extremely rare entity which constitutes less than 1% of extranodal lymphomas. Most cases present with bilateral adrenal masses and without extraadrenal involvement, which can lead to symptoms of adrenal insufficiency. The prognosis is usually poor and chemotherapy is the first-line treatment option. We report here on a 78-year-old man admitted to our Internal Medicine Department because of constitutional symptoms and high fever spikes. He was diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency and a CT-scan revealed bilateral adrenal masses of about 6 cm in diameter. A percutaneous biopsy was performed and the histological exam was consistent with diffuse large B cell lymphoma. A review of the literature of this unusual entity was also carried out.
authors.affiliation: Haematology Division, Hospital Universitario de Álava, Vitoria 01009, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Miguel Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander 39008, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander 39008, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla-IDIVAL, University of Cantabria, Santander 39008, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hernández
keywords: adrenal insufficiency; non-Hodgkin lymphoma; primary adrenal lymphoma