Adrenal minerlocorticoids pathway and its clinical applications

Deoxycorticosterone-producing adenoma concomitant with aldosterone-producing microadenoma: a challenging combination

OBJECTIVE

To describe the challenging case of a 59-year-old male with a deoxycorticosterone (DOC)-producing adrenal adenoma concomitant with an aldosterone-producing microadenoma.

METHODS

We measured the patient's aldosterone and progesterone levels during adrenal venous sampling (AVS). The steroidogenic enzyme expression was studied with in situ hybridization (ISH). Steroids profiles were determined in the peripheral serum obtained before and after the operation, as well as in the main adrenal tumor.

RESULTS

The patient was diagnosed with primary aldosteronism (PA) based on typical clinical findings. He had an adrenal tumor located at the lower pole of the left adrenal gland. The aldosterone concentration in the adrenal vein proximal to the adrenal tumor was higher than that of the ipsilateral adrenal vein distal to the tumor during the AVS. Progesterone was only elevated in the adrenal vein proximal to the tumor, suggesting that the tumor produced steroids other than aldosterone. The postoperative findings revealed that the main tumor was accompanied by 2 microadenomas. The main adrenal tumor was diagnosed as a DOC-producing adenoma, and one of the microadenomas was diagnosed as aldosterone-producing based on the ISH and the determination of the steroid profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Concomitant PA masked the key findings of a DOC-producing tumor; the suppression of aldosterone in this patient. Multiple sampling in the adrenal vein considering the location of the adrenal tumor provided a clue to the diagnosis. Progesterone measurement during AVS is easy and may be useful in diagnosing rare adrenal tumors that produce intermediate products in adrenal steroid biosynthesis.

[Primary hyperaldosteronisms: from diagnosis to treatment]

Primary hyperaldosteronism is a growing cause of apparently essential hypertension (until 15 % of patients with hypertension). Primary hyperaldosteronism can now be recognized even for patients without hypertension or hypokaliemia. Paradoxically normal levels of aldosterone when serum renin levels and/or plasmatic renin activity and/or kaliemia are low, lead to suggest primary hyperaldostéronism. High values of aldosterone/renin or aldosterone/PRA favour the diagnosis. Adrenal scanography (fine slices) has to be performed, and confronted with one functional procedure (adrenal iodocholestérol uptake after dexamethasone, or sampling of adrenal venous blood for aldosterone measurement) only if surgery is suggested. When hypersecretion is unilateral or largely predominant in one size, surgery is very useful, when hypertension or hypokaliemia are poorly controlled, when medications are unwell tolerated, especially in men.