Bilateral adrenal non-Hodgkin lymphoma type B

Primary Bilateral Adrenal Non-Hodgkin's Burkitt-Like Lymphoma: A Rare Cause of Primary Adrenal Insufficiency. Case Report and Literature Review

Aims and background

Primary bilateral adrenal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is an extremely rare entity. Only 44 cases have been reported in the literature. The most common presenting symptoms are abdominal pain, fever, asthenia, constipation, weight loss or typical symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, hypertension, darkening of skin, orthostatic hypotension or an addisonian crisis.

Methods

The case is presented of a 57-year-old man suffering from primary bilateral adrenal lymphoma with symptoms of adrenal insufficiency syndrome associated with bilateral, stabbing lumbar pain and a palpable mass on the left side. Laboratory tests revealed a considerable increase in lactate dehydrogenase levels, adrenal insufficiency, and high corticotropin levels.

Results

Abdominal CT scan showed two large adrenal masses. A CT-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy revealed a large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Combination chemotherapy according to the CHOP protocol with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone was initiated, which caused a slight reduction in size of the two adrenal masses. The patient underwent a bilateral adrenalectomy with almost complete excision of the tumors. Replacement therapy with cortisone acetate was initiated postoperatively. Adjuvant combination chemotherapy according to the CHOP protocol was started but renal failure gradually emerged and the treatment could not be completed. The patient died seven months after surgery due to acute bronchial pneumonia and progression of disease.

Conclusions

Primary bilateral adrenal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma mainly affects adult men. Diagnosis is based on histological examination. Whether associated or not with radiotherapy, chemotherapy is the most recommended treatment. Surgery, where possible, seems to lead to an increase in survival rates, but it is not possible to draw any definite conclusions on its effectiveness as yet.

The Clinical and Hormonal Characteristics of Primary Adrenal Lymphomas: The Necessity of Early Detection of Adrenal Insufficiency

Objective To analyze the clinical and endocrine characteristics of patients with primary adrenal lymphoma. Patients We retrospectively reviewed the cases of five patients with primary adrenal lymphoma who were treated in our hospital between April 2004 and March 2015. We investigated the characteristics of the clinical and pathological findings, treatment, prognosis and complications of adrenal insufficiency. Results Adrenal insufficiency, which was confirmed by the laboratory data at the initial presentation, was observed in two cases. One case was complicated by relative adrenal insufficiency during a course of chemotherapy. The plasma adrenaline and urinary adrenaline levels were decreased in four cases and three cases, respectively. Diffusion MRI was radiologically diagnostic. In all of the cases, the patients were pathologically diagnosed with diffuse large-B cell lymphoma and were treated with rituximab and CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone)-like chemotherapy. Two patients received central nervous system prophylaxis with high-dose methotrexate. Four of the patients survived and one patient died during the follow-up period. Conclusion The early detection of adrenal insufficiency and the administration of an appropriate dose of hydrocortisone are necessary during the course of chemotherapy as well as at the initial manifestation. The exclusion of adrenal dysfunction prior to invasive diagnostic procedures, such as CT-guided needle biopsy, is also critical.

Acute adrenal insufficiency secondary to bilateral adrenal B-cell lymphoma: a case report and review of the literature

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.

Radiology-pathology conference: primary adrenal lymphoma

We present a case of a 62-year-old man with a history of type II diabetes mellitus who presented to our emergency department with back pain and right upper quadrant abdominal pain associated with vomiting and weight loss. A computed tomographic scan of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a large adrenal mass, and subsequent biopsy showed primary adrenal lymphoma.

Primary bilateral adrenal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma demonstrating adrenal failure

Primary adrenal lymphoma (PAL) is extremely rare although involvement of malignant lymphoma into adrenals is common. We report a case of a 58-year-old man with bilateral PAL who demonstrated adrenal insufficiency. Primary large B-cell lymphoma was proven by a computed tomography-guided needle biopsy of the adrenal tumor. Although a complete remission was once achieved by combination chemotherapy plus rituximab, a recurrence occurred with brain metastasis leading to his death. We concluded that PAL should be considered as a possible cause of bilateral adrenal incidentalomas with progressive adrenal insufficiency.

Bilateral primary adrenal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and primary adrenocortical carcinoma--review of the literature preoperative differentiation of adrenal tumors

Most of the adrenal tumors that are incidentally detected are benign adenomas. The incidence of malignant adrenal tumors including adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) and primary adrenal lymphoma (PAL) is rather low. As many patients with ACC and PAL are diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease, the overall survival time of both entities remains poor. The therapeutic strategies for both entities differ. Thus an early differentiation between ACC and PAL is necessary. Unfortunately hitherto preoperative diagnosis of potentially malignant adrenal masses is still a main problem in the treatment of adrenal tumors. We present the case of a 57-year-old male patient with ACC and the case of an 87-year-old male patient with PAL and provide a systematic comparison of the clinical and pathological features of both entities. In both cases clinical and radiological features resulted in an initially false diagnosis. Primary surgical therapy was performed in both patients. The patient with PAL died five months after initial surgery. The patient with ACC showed tumor progression with local and systemic recurrence despite adjuvant therapy with mitotane and additional surgical therapy. Prognosis of patients with ACC and PAL seems to be dependant on the ability to start accurate treatment without any time delay. We propose some guidelines for diagnosis and surgical management of adrenal tumors.

Lymphome malin non hodgkinien primitif de la surrénale. À propos d'un cas

Bilateral primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) of the adrenals is uncommon. Less than 70 cases have been described in the literature. The symptoms of disease are variable and depend on the tumor size and the presence of adrenal insufficiency . We report a case of large diffuse B-cell adrenal lymphoma discovered in a 40-year-old woman presenting bilateral lumbar pain. Hormonal exploration demonstrated adrenal insufficiency. Imaging explorations showed a large and bilateral adrenal mass. Percutaneous CT-guided biopsy of the adrenal and search for extension revealed primary bilateral adrenal lymphoma. After glucocorticoid substitution, treatment was based on a CHOP regimen chemotherapy; outcome was unfavourable after the second cure; the patient died from septic shock. The diagnosis of primary adrenal non-Hodgkin lymphoma should be investigated in patients with a rapidly growing bilateral adrenal mass associated with adrenal insufficiency.