Adrenal tumors with unexpected outcome: a review of the literature

A Brief Look at Hashimoto's Disease, Adrenal Incidentalomas, Obesity and Insulin Resistance-Could Endocrine Disruptors Be the Other Side of the Same Coin?

Hashimoto's disease (HD) is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in developed countries. The exact pathomechanism behind it has not been clearly established; however, an interplay of genetic susceptibility, environmental triggers (including diet) and epigenetic factors seems to be involved. Among the latter, increasingly more attention has been paid to some hormonally active substances, known as endocrine disruptors, which are commonly used worldwide. HD has become a condition widely reported in the media, acting as a culprit for inexplicable weight gain, chronic fatigue or weakness. Nevertheless, the recognition of HD is undeniably increasing and represents a major public health burden. At the same time, improving access to imaging tests has increased the number of incidentally diagnosed adrenal tumors. Above all, the widespread use of chest computed tomography (CT) due to the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to frequent incidental detection of adrenal lesions. Fortunately, a vast majority of these findings are asymptomatic benign tumors with no excessive hormonal activity, and therefore, they are defined as adrenal incidentalomas (AIs). Interestingly, recent studies have indicated that patients with AIs are more prone to obesity and insulin resistance. Although mutual relationships between the thyroid and the adrenal glands have been studied widely, still, little is known about the possible pathophysiological associations between thyroid autoimmunity and the occurrence of adrenal incidentalomas. This article presents a brief review of the common endocrine disorders with a special focus on the frequently coexisting insulin resistance and/or obesity. Furthermore, in response to the recent growing interest in endocrine disruptors, with their transgenerational epigenetic effects that influence hormonal system function, a concise overview of the topic has also been included.

Adrenal hemorrhage following direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy: two case reports and literature review

Background

Adrenal hemorrhage (AH) is a rare condition that can result in a life-threatening medical emergency. This medical condition could be caused by several underlying factors, one of which is the use of anticoagulants. As far as we are aware, direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) agents are a rare but possible cause of AH.

Case presentation

Herein, we described two cases of AH due to DOACs. The first case was a 35-year-old Iranian woman with a past medical history of Hashimoto thyroiditis who was being treated with apixaban due to the previous thrombosis. Her first symptoms of AH (November 2021) were strangely similar to symptoms of autoimmune Addison disease (AAD) which led to a confirmed diagnosis of autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 2 (APS-2). An abdominal MRI revealed an oval shape well-encapsulated cystic mass with a diameter of 20 × 14 mm with a thick and low signal intensity rim in the left adrenal gland, highly suggestive of sub-acute left-sided AH. Our second case was an 89-year-old Iranian woman who had been admitted to the hospital (August 2021) with low blood pressure and disorientation. At the beginning of her admission, the evaluation showed hyponatremia, and further evaluations confirmed adrenal insufficiency (AI). The patient reported rivaroxaban usage for deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis after femur fixation surgery. Her abdominal CT scans showed bilateral adrenal masses highly suggestive of AH. Her follow-up examination showed persistent AI after three months.

Conclusion

Given the history of our cases, physicians should be aware of AH in patients receiving DOACs, particularly in elderly patients who are at high risk of bleeding. It is also worth noting that AH can occur in any patient with any medical history and history of DOAC use, which is why patients must be closely monitored.

Adrenocortical adenoma with myelolipomatous metaplasia: a potential diagnostic pitfall: a case report and review of the literature

Background

Adrenal incidentalomas are often found during investigation for another tumor or unrelated problems. Except for adrenal myelolipoma (second most common primary adrenal incidentaloma following adrenocortical adenomas), adrenal lipomatous tumors are uncommon generally and are often described as case reports in the literature. Since the amount of fat is variable, without the help of advanced imaging techniques, some adrenal lipomatous tumors may be misdiagnosed before pathologic examination. Herein, we report a case of adrenal adenoma with myelolipomatous metaplasia that was excised as a periceliac mass in the setting of recurrent pancreatic cyst.

Case report

A 45-year-old Iranian woman with hypertension and end-stage renal disease presented with recurrence of a pancreatic cyst (previous pathologic report was mucinous cyst adenoma). During exploratory laparotomy, the mentioned pancreatic cyst was tightly attached to the stomach and jejunum. There was also a periceliac round rubbery lesion (firstly diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound) that was excised for ruling out malignancy. Histologic examination of the periceliac mass was found to be adrenocortical adenoma with foci of myelolipomatous metaplasia. The pancreatic cyst histology was just a pseudocyst.

Conclusion

Our case highlights the significance of complete evaluation of incidental findings before surgical intervention, even in the setting of another primary tumor. Myelolipoma and myelolipomatous change (metaplasia) are two different entities. Although very similar as to pathogenesis, there are still some differences.

[Surgery of adrenal diseases]

Incidentally discovered adrenal alterations should be separated into those without any clinical importance and adrenal diseases that have to be surgically or conservatively treated. Before operative treatment, in addition to the possible different functional activity of tumors, a differentiation must be made between sporadically arising singular or multiple adrenal tumors or nodular adrenal hyperplasia, adrenal tumors as part of a familial syndrome and metastases of other primary malignant tumors into the adrenal glands. Benign hormonally active adrenal tumors as well as questionable malignant tumors of the adrenal cortex are resected by minimally invasive techniques. For large malignant tumors infiltrating into surrounding tissues and tumors with proven lymph node metastases, the primarily open approach is indicated. Patients with adrenal diseases should always undergo an interdisciplinary assessment and in cases with clear indications for surgery, sometimes transferred to a center with experience in surgery and postoperative management of these patients.

The largest adrenal leiomyoma: A case report and literature review

Leiomyoma is a benign tumor of smooth muscle origin. Primary leiomyoma of the adrenal gland is very rare. Adrenal tumors are often diagnosed during the ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) study as incidentaloma. According to the literature review, up to 2018, the largest size of adrenal leiomyoma which had ever been reported was 12 × 10 × 8 cm in dimension (Maher et al.). Herein, we report the largest adrenal leiomyoma with the tumor mass of 600 g (14,1x11,4x10,1 cm) from a female patient admitted to our hospital.

A Case of Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma Mimicking an Adrenocortical Carcinoma

An adrenal mass can be a diagnostic challenge as it is not easy to differentiate the adrenal glands from other adrenal pseudotumours with only radio-imaging. We report a 28-year-old patient who was diagnosed radiologically as an adrenal cortical carcinoma after he presented with abdominal pain and fullness. Biochemically, he demonstrated secondary hyperaldosteronism. Intra-operatively there was a huge mass, inferior to a normal right adrenal, which was histopathologically proven to be a dedifferentiated liposarcoma.

Bilateral primary adrenal lymphoma successfully treated with non-CHOP chemotherapy regimen

Primary bilateral non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the adrenal gland is a rare presentation with <200 reported cases. We report a 70-year-old man who presented with vomiting and abdominal pain for 2 weeks and was subsequently diagnosed to have high-grade lymphoma of the adrenal glands. The patient was then started on a rituximab-bendamustine chemotherapy regimen. The patient tolerated treatment well without significant side effects. Repeat positron emission tomography CT scan after four cycles of chemotherapy showed complete response. The patient has completed six cycles of chemotherapy and is on regular follow-up with no signs of relapse.

Primary Adrenal Angiosarcoma: A Rare and Potentially Misdiagnosed Tumor

A man aged 69 years presented with acute right flank pain secondary to a hemorrhagic large adrenal tumor. En bloc resection was performed to repair the inferior vena cava. Immunoperoxidase levels in the tumor were positive for factor VIII and CD31 and negative for S100, protein Melan-A, CD34, synaptophysin, chromogranin, desmin, muscle specific actin, ETFA (EMA), KRT20 (CK20), CDX2, TTF1, LNPEP (PLAP), inhibin, ?-fetoprotein, CD30, hepatocyte paraffin, and aberrant expression of cytokeratin 7 and pankeratin. The pathological diagnosis was consistent with adrenal angiosarcoma. Obtaining appropriate immunoperoxidase stains and multidisciplinary evaluation helped make the diagnosis of this rare adrenal tumor and determine its management. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and completed 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin/ifosfamide and adequately tolerated the treatment. However, positive surgical margins were found, so he was referred to radiation oncology specialists for possible adjuvant radiotherapy to the surgical bed. Weeks after the first initiation of therapy, the patient presented to the emergency department complaining of shortness of breath, fatigue, and generalized weakness for 3 days. He was admitted and found to have new-onset anemia and a new-onset, large, right pleural effusion. Thoracentesis performed showed sanguinolent fluid that, after microscopic evaluation, was suggestive of recurrent malignancy. Thoracic aortography performed with subselective catheterization to several arteries (right bronchial, right phrenic, and right renal arteries) did not show any active bleeding. However, the right inferior intercostal and adrenal arteries were presumed to be the reason for the bleeding event, so they were embolized until stasis. The patient remained hemodynamically unstable but eventually experienced multiorgan failure. In spite of aggressive measures, he died 10 days after admission to the hospital.

Adrenal Lesions in Patients With (Attenuated) Familial Adenomatous Polyposis and MUTYH-Associated Polyposis

BACKGROUND

The reported proportion of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis who have adrenal lesions varies between 7% and 13% compared with 4% in the general population; the prevalence of adrenal lesions in patients with attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis and MUTYH-associated polyposis is unknown. Data on the clinical relevance and clinical course are limited.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to report on the frequency, characteristics, and progression of adrenal lesions in polyposis patients.

DESIGN

This was a historical cohort study.

SETTINGS

The study was performed at the Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam.

PATIENTS

All of the patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis, and MUTYH-associated polyposis were included. Medical charts and imaging reports were analyzed for data on adrenal lesions. A radiologist reassessed all of the images. Patients had not routinely been screened for adrenal lesions.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The frequency, characteristics, and progression of adrenal lesions in patients with polyposis who underwent abdominal imaging were assessed. Findings were compared with a reference.

RESULTS

A total of 39 adrenal lesions were identified in 23 (26%) of 90 patients with familial adenomatous polyposis, 2 (18%) of 11 with attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis, and 5 (24%) of 21 with MUTYH-associated polyposis. Mean age at time of detection was 50.7 years (range, 17.1-83.3 y). Median lesion size at baseline was 1.4 cm (range, 1.0-5.0 cm) versus 1.7 cm (range, 1.0-5.7 cm) after a median of 3.5 years (range, 1.0-11.4 y). Two patients were diagnosed with a hyperfunctioning lesion, and 4 underwent adrenalectomy: 3 lesions appeared benign, and 1 was oncocytic of uncertain malignant potential. The OR for detecting at least 1 lesion in a patient with polyposis versus reference was 6.2 (95% CI, 3.2-12.3), with no significant differences in ORs among the 3 syndromes.

LIMITATIONS

The study was limited by its retrospective design.

CONCLUSIONS

Adrenal lesions are frequent in patients with polyposis who undergo abdominal imaging. They appear to follow a benign and slowly progressive course and are mostly nonhyperfunctioning. See Abstract Video at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A323.

Clinical characteristics of adrenal tumors in children: a retrospective review of a 15-year single-center experience

OBJECTIVE

Adrenal tumors are rare in children. The aim of this study is to review and analyze clinical data on the diagnosis and management of adrenal tumors in children.

METHODS

Between 2001 and 2015, 48 pediatric patients (<14 years old) admitted to our institute with adrenal tumors were reviewed. Clinical features, imaging studies, surgical approaches, as well as pathological diagnoses were recorded.

RESULTS

The series comprised 28 males and 20 females. Adrenomedullary tumors were 37, including 24 cases of neuroblastoma, 10 cases of ganglioneuroma, 2 cases of ganglioneuroblastoma, and 1 case of pheochromocytoma. Adrenocortical tumors were 10: 9 cases of cortical adenoma and 1 case of cortical cancer. The other one was hematoma. Fever, pain, and abdominal distention were the main clinical manifestations of adrenomedullary tumors, while Cushing syndrome was the most frequent presenting symptom of adrenocortical tumors. Both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a high diagnostic yield. Some patients had an elevated hormone level. Open adrenalectomy was performed in 40 patients (83.3%), while a laparoscopic approach was employed in eight patients (16.7%).

RESULTS

Adrenal tumors in children have various types,as well as clinical manifestations. Imaging and laboratory data could be useful for differentiation of malignant from benign tumor. Final diagnosis depends on pathology. Surgical excision of the adrenal tumors is the standard of care.

The Pathologic Point of View of Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy in the Era of Radiologic Imaging: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

INTRODUCTION/AIM

This study aimed to determine if laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is feasible for the treatment of adrenal malignancies and metastasis, and to review the final pathology findings in order to clarify the indications for surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

The medical records of all patients that underwent LA at 3 university hospitals between January 1, 2008, and May 1, 2015, were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

In total, 189 laparoscopic adrenalectomies were completed successfully. Mean duration of surgery was 79.3 ± 38.6 min and mean estimated intraoperative blood loss was 39.9 ml. Intraoperatively, 4 patients had major complications: spleen injury (n = 1), renal vein injury (n = 2) and diaphragm injury (n = 2). Histopathological examination showed that there were 20 different types of lesions. Surgical margins (SMs) were tumor free in 95.2% of the patients. Moreover, SMs were tumor free in all patients with adrenocortical carcinomas; however, positive margins were noted in 7 of 23 patients (30.4%) with malignant adrenal tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings support the use of laparoscopy for metastatic adrenal masses, despite a high positive margin rate. LA is a safe, feasible and cost-effective procedure for the management of benign and malignant adrenal masses.

Lipoadenoma of the adrenal gland: report of a rare entity and review of literature

Adrenal lipoadenoma is an extremely rare tumor. Only four cases have been reported so far. The authors reported a case of adrenal lipoadenoma in a 46-year-old man with the history of abdominal pain. The present case, manifesting as a nonfunctional adrenal tumor, is characteristically comprised of a mixture of mature adipocytes and adrenocortical cells. We also reviewed this tumor in different organs which have been published in the literature.