ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome with bilateral cortisol-secreting adrenal adenomas: a case report and review of literatures

Selective venous sampling for secondary hypertension

Selective venous sampling (SVS), an invasive radiographic procedure that depends on contrast media, holds a unique role in diagnosing and guiding the treatment of certain types of secondary hypertension, particularly in patients who may be candidates for curative surgery. The adrenal venous sampling (AVS), in particular, is established as the gold standard for localizing and subtyping primary aldosteronism (PA). Throughout decades of clinical practice, AVS could be applied not only to PA but also to other endocrine diseases, such as adrenal Cushing syndrome (ACS) and Pheochromocytomas (PCCs). Notably, the application of AVS in ACS and PCCs remains less recognized compared to PA, with the low success rate of catheterization, the controversy of results interpretation, and the absence of a standardized protocol. Additionally, the AVS procedure necessitates enhancements to boost its success rate, with several helpful but imperfect methods emerging, yet continued exploration remains essential. We also observed renal venous sampling (RVS), an operation akin to AVS in principle, serves as an effective means of diagnosing renin-dependent hypertension, aiding in the identification of precise sources of renin excess and helping the selection of surgical candidates with renin angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) abnormal activation. Nonetheless, further basic and clinical research is needed. Selective venous sampling (SVS) can be used in identifying cases of secondary hypertension that are curable by surgical intervention. Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) and aldosterone measurement for classificatory diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) are established worldwide. While its primary application is for PA, AVS also holds the potential for diagnosing other endocrine disorders, including adrenal Cushing's syndrome (ACS) and pheochromocytomas (PCCs) through the measurements of cortisol and catecholamine respectively. In addition, renal venous sampling and renin measurement can help to diagnose renovascular hypertension and reninoma.

Role of adrenal venous sampling in the differential diagnosis and treatment protocol of ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome with bilateral adrenal lesions

PURPOSE

The diagnosis and management of adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent Cushing's syndrome (AICS) with bilateral adrenal lesions remain challenging. Some studies have explored the value of adrenal vein sampling (AVS) in patients with AICS; however, more investigations are needed to assess its benefits for diagnosis and treatment planning in this population.

METHODS

Thirteen patients with clinical, biochemical and imaging evidence of AICS with bilateral adrenal lesions underwent AVS in our department from 2017-2022 were recruited. Only the data from nine patients for whom AVS succeeded were finally included in this study and further analyzed. Blood samples were successfully collected from both adrenal veins (AV) and inferior vena cava (IVC) in these nine patients, and the levels of plasma total cortisol (PTC) and plasma aldosterone concentrations (PAC) were measured. The ratio of the PAC of the AV to the IVC was calculated, and the PTC to PAC ratios were compared between AV. The surgical strategy was chosen according to the results of AVS. Postoperative histology and immunohistochemistry of the adrenal tissues were performed. The prognosis was evaluated based on the improvement of clinical symptoms and biochemical parameters (including PTC and ACTH measurements).

RESULTS

Patients with AICS were clinically diagnosed based on clinical signs, results of functional tests and the presence of bilateral adrenal lesions as observed on computed tomography imaging. An AV to IVC PAC ratio greater than 2 confirmed successful AVS. The PTC to PAC ratio (high side to low side) was greater than 2 in four patients, and less than 2 in five patients. The postoperative pathological results were consistent with clinical diagnosis and AVS. During the mean follow-up of 33 months, all nine patients achieved varying degrees of clinical improvement.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that AVS helped to distinguish unilateral and bilateral lesions, identify the laterality of the autonomous hypercortisolism, and improve therapeutic strategy selection in patients with AICS and bilateral adrenal lesions.

Eleven-Year Experience with Selective Adrenal Vein Sampling in Management of Primary Adrenal Hormonal Hypersecretion

Introduction: Nearly half of the adult population in the United States has been diagnosed with hypertension. Adrenal hormonal hypersecretion is a leading cause of secondary hypertension. Adrenal vein sampling (AVS) may assist in differentiating between unilateral and bilateral adrenal hormonal hypersecretion to identify patients who are candidates for adrenalectomy. We reviewed the use of AVS at our institution along with associated outcomes after adrenalectomy. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients with a diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism (PA) or adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent Cushing syndrome (AICS) and who underwent adrenalectomy between January 1, 2010, and December 1, 2021. Patient data of baseline characteristics, preoperative workup, including AVS, and postoperative outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results: Seventy-one patients were identified in the study period (48 PA and 23 AICS). Computed tomography scan identified unilateral adrenal nodules in 52 patients (29 left; and 23 right), bilateral nodules in 13 patients, and no nodules in 6 patients. AVS was performed in 45 patients with PA (93%) and 5 patients with AICS (21%). After surgery, the number of PA patients with hypokalemia or requiring potassium supplementation significantly decreased after adrenalectomy (before surgery: 33 [68.7%]; and after surgery: 5 [10.4%], P < .01). The number of medications required for hypertension in AICS patients also significantly decreased. No major adverse events were noted. Conclusions: Our long-term experience demonstrates the ongoing use of AVS during workup of patients with primary hyperaldosteronism and for select patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent Cushing syndrome. However, a low level of discordance between imaging and AVS findings in PA patients suggests that there may be a subset of patients in whom preoperative AVS is not necessary.

Clinical analysis of the etiological spectrum of bilateral adrenal lesions: A large retrospective, single-center study

PURPOSE

To investigate the clinical characteristics, endocrinological function, and etiology of bilateral adrenal lesions in hospitalized patients.

METHODS

A retrospective study of 777 patients with bilateral adrenal lesions was conducted at the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital between January 2013 and January 2018. Patients' demographic features, hormonal profiles, imaging findings, and histopathological findings were reviewed from database records.

RESULTS

Of the 777 patients with bilateral adrenal lesions, 495 were men. The mean age at diagnosis was 52.0 ± 13.0 years. Overall, 511 (65.8%) cases were benign, followed by adrenal metastases (n = 224, 28.8%), pheochromocytoma (n = 26, 3.3%), adrenal lymphoma (n = 9, 1.2%), and adrenal corticocarcinoma (ACC; n = 7, 0.9%). Hormonal evaluation revealed that 34.3% of bilateral adrenal lesions were functional. The primary etiologies of functional lesions were primary aldosteronism (16.6%, 129/777), and primary bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (PBMAH; 8.8%, 68/777). Patients with lymphoma and metastases were significantly older than those with benign nonfunctional lesions (60.4 ± 11.0 years vs. 54.5 ± 10.4 years and 57.9 ± 10.8 years vs. 54.5 ± 10.4 years, respectively; both P < 0.001). Lesions in patients with adrenal lymphoma, ACC, pheochromocytoma, metastases, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, tuberculosis, and Cushing's syndrome were significantly larger than benign nonfunctional lesions (all P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Benign adrenal lesions and metastases from the lungs are the most common causes of bilateral adrenal lesions. Primary aldosteronism and PBMAH are the most prevalent functional lesions. Moreover, patients with lymphoma or metastases are older and their masses are larger.

Intermittent Blurry Vision: An Unexpected Presentation of Cushing’s Syndrome Due to Primary Bilateral Macronodular Adrenal Hyperplasia (PBMAH)

Cushing’s syndrome (CS) is an uncommon endocrine disorder resulting from prolonged exposure to elevated glucocorticoids, with 10-15 million annual cases per the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Exogenous and endogenous causes can further be divided into adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) dependent (i.e Cushing’s Disease) or ACTH independent. ACTH-independent CS can be caused by primary bilateral macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (PBMAH) representing less than 1% cases of CS. We report a case of a woman presenting with chronic resistant hypertension, episodic blurry vision, weight gain and wasting of extremities. She was diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome due to PBMAH.

Our patient’s presentation was unusual as she presented at 40 years old, 10 years earlier than expected for PBMAH; and primarily with complaints of episodic blurry vision. Her symptoms also progressed rapidly as signs and symptoms largely presented over the course of 12 months, however responded well to surgical resection. 

Recent Advances in the Clinical Application of Adrenal Vein Sampling

We reviewed clinical research investigating the applications of adrenal vein sampling (AVS). AVS could be applied not only to primary aldosteronism (PA) but also to other endocrine diseases, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) independent Cushing syndrome (AICS) and hyperandrogenemia (HA). However, the AVS protocol requires improvements to increase its success rate. Using the computed tomography image fusion, coaxial guidewire technique, and fast intraprocedural cortisol testing (CCF) technique could improve the success rate of catheterization in AVS for PA. ACTH loading could be considered in medical centers with a low selectivity of AVS for PA but is not essential in those with mature AVS technology. The continuous infusion method should be recommended for ACTH stimulation in AVS for PA to reduce adverse events. AVS has not been routinely recommended before management decisions in AICS, but several studies verified that AVS was useful in finding out the source of excess cortisol, especially for distinguishing unilateral from bilateral disease. However, it is necessary to reassess the results of AVS in AICS with the use of reference hormones to fully normalize cortisol levels. In addition, it is essential to determine the optimal model that combines AVS results and mass size to guide the selection of surgical plans, including identifying the dominant gland and presenting the option of staged adrenalectomy, to minimize the impact of bilateral resection. For HA, AVS combined with ovarian intravenous sampling to locate excess androgens could be considered when imaging results are equivocal.

A case of adrenocortical adenoma harboring venous thrombus mimicking adrenal malignancy

Advances in imaging technology and its widespread use have increased the number of identified patients with bilateral adrenal incidentalomas. The pathology of bilateral adrenal incidentalomas is gradually elucidated by its increased frequency. Although there is no consensus regarding the optimal management of bilateral adrenal lesions, adrenal lesions that are a suspected adrenocortical carcinoma on the basis of radiological imaging require surgical resection. We report a clinically interesting case of a 59-year-old female with adrenocortical adenoma harboring venous thrombus that mimicked adrenal malignancy. She was referred for evaluation of asymptomatic asymmetric lesions on both adrenal glands. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a 4.7-cm-diameter heterogenous lesion with peripheral enhancement in the right adrenal gland and a 2.0-cm-diameter homogenous lesion in the left adrenal gland. Adrenal scintigraphy with ¹³¹I-adosterol exhibited marked accumulation in the left lesion and slight accumulation in the middle inferior portion of the right lesion. Endocrine data revealed subclinical Cushing syndrome, and the patient underwent right laparoscopic adrenalectomy. The serum cortisol level was not suppressed on an overnight dexamethasone suppression test after the adrenalectomy. The resected tumor revealed a cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenoma harboring an organized and re-canalized venous thrombus, which was associated with focal papillary endothelial hyperplasia. This case illustrates the difficulty with preoperatively diagnosing this heterogeneously enhanced large benign adrenal lesion and differentiating it from adrenocortical carcinoma or angiosarcoma.

The Value of Adrenal Androgens for Correcting Cortisol Lateralization in Adrenal Venous Sampling in Patients with Normal Cortisol Secretion

The management of patients with adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent Cushing's syndrome and bilateral adrenal masses is challenging. Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) has been used to identify functional lesions in previous studies, but it is not always reliable. The present study aims to address the variability of cortisol in the adrenal veins of patients without excessive cortisol secretion and investigate the use of adrenal androgens to correct the cortisol lateralization ratio in AVS. Thirty-seven patients with primary aldosteronism underwent successful AVS. Patients with normal cortisol secretion exhibited a wide range of cortisol concentrations in the right (601-89, 400 nmol/l) and left (331-35, 300 nmol/l) adrenal veins. The median cortisol gradients between adrenal venous and peripheral venous samples were 15.25 and 10.14 in the right and left sides, respectively, and the cortisol lateralization ratio (high side to low side) was as high as 9.49 (median 1.54). The mean plasma levels of cortisol in the adrenal venous and peripheral venous samples decreased from t-15 to t0. Significant positive correlations were observed between the cortisol concentrations and both androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations in the right and left adrenal veins. After correcting for androstenedione or dehydroepiandrosterone levels, the cortisol lateralization ratio was less than 2 in most adrenal venous samples. The present study demonstrated the wide variation in cortisol concentrations in the adrenal veins of patients with normal cortisol secretion. The adrenal androgens might be ideal analytes used as normalizers when assessing the cortisol lateralization of AVS in normal or hypercortisolism cases.