Clinical features and treatment options for pediatric adrenal incidentalomas: a retrospective single center study

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features and treatment options for pediatric adrenal incidentalomas(AIs) to guide the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors.

METHODS

The clinical data of AI patients admitted to our hospital between December 2016 and December 2022 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into neonatal and nonneonatal groups according to their age at the time of the initial consultation.

RESULTS

In the neonatal group, 13 patients were observed and followed up, and the masses completely disappeared in 8 patients and were significantly reduced in size in 5 patients compared with the previous findings. Four patients ultimately underwent surgery, and the postoperative pathological diagnosis was neuroblastoma in three patients and teratoma in one patient. In the nonneonatal group, there were 18 cases of benign tumors, including 9 cases of ganglioneuroma, 2 cases of adrenocortical adenoma, 2 cases of adrenal cyst, 2 cases of teratoma, 1 case of pheochromocytoma, 1 case of nerve sheath tumor, and 1 case of adrenal hemorrhage; and 20 cases of malignant tumors, including 10 cases of neuroblastoma, 9 cases of ganglioneuroblastoma, and 1 case of adrenocortical carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Neuroblastoma is the most common type of nonneonatal AI, and detailed laboratory investigations and imaging studies are recommended for aggressive evaluation and treatment in this population. The rate of spontaneous regression of AI is high in neonates, and close observation is feasible if the tumor is small, confined to the adrenal gland and has no distant metastasis.

To report hounsfeld units or not: There is no question

INTRODUCTION

Most adrenal incidentalomas are not appropriately evaluated. Reporting the mass in the radiology report summary and providing recommendations in the report can positively impact evaluation. This study evaluated the effect of reporting Hounsfield units(HU) on adrenal incidentaloma follow-up.

METHODS

Patients with adrenal incidentalomas identified on noncontrast CT scan from 2015 to 2020 ​at a tertiary care institution were studied. Chart review was conducted. Patient and imaging characteristics were compared between patients who did and did not have HU reported. Outcomes of interest were 1)outpatient referral, 2)biochemical evaluation, and 3)dedicated imaging if appropriate. Multivariate analysis determined the impact of HU, reporting in the summary and provision of recommendations on the outcomes.

RESULTS

363 patients were studied, 36(9.9 ​%) had HU reported. When HU were used in addition to recommendations and reporting in the summary, the likelihood of outpatient referral increased from 10.1 to 32.6-fold (95%CI 7.7-138.1, p ​< ​0.001). Similarly, the likelihood of biochemical workup increased from 2.5 to 7.8-fold (95%CI 2.5-24.1, p ​< ​0.001).

CONCLUSION

Recording adrenal incidentaloma HU on non-contrast CT scans was associated with increased rates of outpatient referral and biochemical workup.

Incidence, Presentation, and Natural History of Adrenal Hemorrhage: An Institutional Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Adrenal hemorrhage (AH) can occur due to multiple etiologies with variable radiographic appearance, often indistinguishable from underlying adrenal neoplasms. There is a lack of AH literature and evidence-based guidelines. Our study aimed to understand the prevalence and etiology of AH, follow-up, and incidence of underlying neoplasm.

METHODS

An institutional database was queried from January 2006 to October 2021 for patients with AH on imaging, excluding patients with known malignancies, adrenal masses, or prior adrenal surgery. Demographics, medical history, hematoma size, laterality, biochemical evaluation, intervention, and additional imaging were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of 490,301 imaging reports queried, 530 (0.11%) with AH met inclusion criteria. Most imaging (n = 485, 91.5%) was performed during trauma evaluation. Two patients underwent dedicated intervention at presentation. Interval imaging was performed in 114 (21.5%) patients at a median of 2.6 (interquartile range 0.99-13.4) mo, with resolution (n = 84, 73.7%) or decreased size of AH (n = 21, 18.4%) in most patients. Only 10 patients (1.9%) saw an outpatient provider in our system to address AH or evaluate for underlying mass, and 9 (1.7%) underwent biochemical screening. Thirteen patients (11% of 118 patients with any follow-up) had evidence of an adrenal mass, confirmed on serial imaging (n = 10) or adrenalectomy (n = 3). Scans performed for nontrauma indications were significantly more likely to have an underlying mass (n = 6/26 [23.1%]) than those performed for trauma evaluation (n = 7/92 [7.6%], P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

AH is a rare finding associated with an increased rate of underlying adrenal mass, particularly when unrelated to trauma. Most AH resolves spontaneously without intervention. Follow-up imaging at 6 mo can help distinguish mass-associated AH from simple hemorrhage.

Predicting postoperative hypocortisolism in patients with non-aldosterone-producing adrenocortical adenoma: a retrospective single-centre study

BACKGROUND

Limited information exists on postoperative hypocortisolism and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis recovery in patients with adrenal incidentaloma following unilateral adrenalectomy. We evaluated frequency of postoperative hypocortisolism and predictors for recovery in non-aldosterone-producing adrenocortical adenoma patients after unilateral adrenalectomy.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 32 adrenal incidentaloma patients originally included in the ITACA trial (NCT04127552) with confirmed non-aldosterone-producing adrenocortical adenoma undergoing unilateral adrenalectomy from September 2019 to April 2023 was conducted. Preoperative assessments included adrenal MRI, anthropometrics, evaluation of comorbidities, adrenal function assessed via ACTH, urinary free cortisol, and 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test. ACTH and serum cortisol or Short Synacthen test were performed within 6 days, 6 weeks, 6 months, and a year after surgery.

RESULTS

Six days postoperative, 18.8% of patients had normal adrenal function. Among those with postoperative hypocortisolism, 53.8% recovered by 6 weeks. Patients with earlier adrenal recovery (6 weeks) had lower preoperative 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (median 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test 76.2 [61.8-111.0] nmol/L vs 260.0 [113.0-288.5] nmol/L, p < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed preoperative 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test negatively related with baseline ACTH levels (r = - 0.376; p = 0.041) and negatively associated with the 6-week baseline (r = - 0.395, p = 0.034) and 30-min cortisol levels during Short Synacthen test (r = - 0.534, p = 0.023). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated preoperative 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test as the only biochemical predictor for 6-week adrenal recovery: ROC curve identified a 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test threshold of 131 nmol/L predicting 6-week recovery with 89.5% sensitivity and 72.7% specificity (AUC 0.87; 95% CI 66.9-98.7, p < 0.001). Other preoperative assessments (tumor size, ACTH levels and anthropometrics) were not associated with postoperative hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function, but the presence of diabetes was associated with a lower probability of recovery (OR = 24.55, p = 0.036). ACTH levels increased postoperatively in all patients but did not predict hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

The preoperative 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test cortisol value and presence of diabetes are the only relevant predictor of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis recovery in patients with non-aldosterone- producing adrenocortical adenoma undergoing surgery, regardless other clinical and biochemical variables. Notably, pre- and postoperative ACTH levels did not predict hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis recovery. These findings point towards the potential for saving resources by optimizing their allocation during follow-up assessments for patients with non-aldosterone-producing adrenocortical adenoma undergoing unilateral adrenalectomy.

Pancreatosteatosis in patients with adrenal incidentaloma: A risk factor for impaired glucose metabolism

AIMS

Patients with adrenal incidentaloma (AI) are at increased risk of impaired glucose metabolism, which is known to be associated with pancreatosteatosis (PS). We aimed to investigate the risk of developing dysglycemia for patients with non-functioning AI (NFAI) versus those without, and whether the presence of PS predicts future dysglycemia in patients with NFAI.

METHOD

In 80 patients with NFAI and 127 controls matched for age, sex, and body mass index, changes in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c) were evaluated at 2 years. PS was evaluated with data obtained from non-contrast abdominal computed tomography (CT) performed at the initial evaluation.

RESULTS

Mean FPG levels increased significantly after 2 years in both groups (P < 0.001, for both), albeit significantly higher among patients than the controls (P = 0.002). The increases in HbA1c and FPG levels were significantly higher among patients with PS than without PS, in the adenoma group (p < 0.001, P = 0.00, respectively). The change in Hba1c levels was associated with the presence of PS in patients with NFAI (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the presence of PS may provide significant information in predicting newly developed dysglycemia in patients with NFAI.

Silent pheochromocytoma in adrenal incidentaloma: unveiling clinical and radiological characteristics

Purpose

Silent pheochromocytoma refers to tumors without signs and symptoms of catecholamine excess. This study aimed to clarify the clinical, radiological characteristics, and perioperative features of silent pheochromocytomas diagnosed after adrenalectomy for adrenal incidentaloma.

Methods

Medical records of patients who underwent adrenalectomy for adrenal incidentaloma and were subsequently diagnosed with silent pheochromocytoma between January 2000 and December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed for demographic, diagnostic, surgical, and pathological findings.

Results

Of the 130 patients who underwent adrenalectomy for incidentaloma, 8 (6.1%) were diagnosed with silent pheochromocytoma. Almost all patients had no hypertensive symptoms and their baseline hormonal levels remained within normal ranges. All patients exhibited tumor size >4 cm, precontrast Hounsfield unit >10, and absolute washout <60%. Intraoperative hypertensive events were noted in 2 patients (25.0%) in whom antiadrenergic medications were not administered. All patients in the intraoperative hypertensive event group exhibited atypical features on CT, whereas 83.3% of patients in the non-intraoperative hypertensive event group showed atypical features on CT imaging.

Conclusion

Silent pheochromocytomas share radiological traits with malignant adrenal tumors. Suspicious features on CT scans warrant surgical consideration for appropriate treatment. Administering alpha-blockers can enhance hemodynamic stability during adrenalectomy in suspected silent pheochromocytoma cases.

Radiomics in the characterization of lipid-poor adrenal adenomas at unenhanced CT: time to look beyond usual density metrics

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we developed a radiomic signature for the classification of benign lipid-poor adenomas, which may potentially help clinicians limit the number of unnecessary investigations in clinical practice. Indeterminate adrenal lesions of benign and malignant nature may exhibit different values of key radiomics features.

METHODS

Patients who had available histopathology reports and a non-contrast-enhanced CT scan were included in the study. Radiomics feature extraction was done after the adrenal lesions were contoured. The primary feature selection and prediction performance scores were calculated using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). To eliminate redundancy, the best-performing features were further examined using the Pearson correlation coefficient, and new predictive models were created.

RESULTS

This investigation covered 50 lesions in 48 patients. After LASSO-based radiomics feature selection, the test dataset's 30 iterations of logistic regression models produced an average performance of 0.72. The model with the best performance, made up of 13 radiomics features, had an AUC of 0.99 in the training phase and 1.00 in the test phase. The number of features was lowered to 5 after performing Pearson's correlation to prevent overfitting. The final radiomic signature trained a number of machine learning classifiers, with an average AUC of 0.93.

CONCLUSIONS

Including more radiomics features in the identification of adenomas may improve the accuracy of NECT and reduce the need for additional imaging procedures and clinical workup, according to this and other recent radiomics studies that have clear points of contact with current clinical practice.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

The study developed a radiomic signature using unenhanced CT scans for classifying lipid-poor adenomas, potentially reducing unnecessary investigations that scored a final accuracy of 93%.

KEY POINTS

• Radiomics has potential for differentiating lipid-poor adenomas and avoiding unnecessary further investigations. • Quadratic mean, strength, maximum 3D diameter, volume density, and area density are promising predictors for adenomas. • Radiomics models reach high performance with average AUC of 0.95 in the training phase and 0.72 in the test phase.

Adrenal malakoplakia a rare lesion that mimics a neoplasm

Background

Malakoplakia is a rare disorder 75% of the reported cases affect mainly the genitourinary tract, its occurrence in the adrenal gland is extremely rare.

Case presentation

A 65-year-old female patient presented to the emergency department for chronic abdominal pain. Radiographic and biochemical studies revealed a left adrenal incidentaloma and left adrenalectomy was performed. Histological examination showed the presence of Michaelis-Gutmann bodies, compatible with a malakoplakia of the adrenal gland.

Conclusions

Malakoplakia is a rare disorder, with non-standardized treatment, medical and surgical therapies appear to be effective in treating the condition.

Could the presence of adrenal incidentaloma negatively affect COVID 19 outcomes?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) are lesions larger than 1 cm that are incidentally detected in the adrenal glands. Chest computed tomography (CCT) is widely used in the first evaluation of patients with suspected coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that resulted in many incidental findings in the thorax and upper abdomen. In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of AI and their effects on the course and outcome of COVID-19 regardless of functional status.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We included 2493 patients aged between 18 and 99 years and whose adrenal glands were clearly visible in CCT images. They were divided into two groups: those with AI (AI group) and without AI (Control group).

RESULTS

AI was detected in 148 (5.93%) patients and 80 (54.1%) of them were male. There was no difference in sex distribution between the groups, but the median age of patients with AI was significantly higher than those without AI [54.5 (20-94 years) vs. 42 (18-99 years); p < 0.001)]. In addition, in the AI group, both hospitalizations due to COVID-19-related conditions (30.4 vs. 21.2%, p = 0.008) and the mortality rate experienced during this time was significantly higher (14.7 vs. 7%, p < 0.001) diseases. The AI group had a significantly higher comorbidity rate than the control group (61.5 vs. 41.9%, p < 0.001). The most common comorbid diseases were hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, respiratory system diseases, and hyperlipidaemia. Advanced age and male gender in terms of mortality, advanced age and covid 19 positivity in terms of hospitalization were determined as significant risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of AI may increase the morbidity and mortality rates associated with COVID-19, regardless of their functional status. Therefore, patients subjected to CCT imaging for COVID-19-related lung diseases should also be evaluated for AI. Careful follow-up of patients with COVID-19 and AI is necessary to monitor the progression of COVID-19.

Diagnosis, Management, and Follow-Up of the Incidentally Discovered Adrenal Mass: CUA Guideline Endorsed by the AUA

PURPOSE

Incidental adrenal masses are common and require a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and management that includes family physicians, urologists, endocrinologists, and radiologists. The purpose of this guideline is to provide an updated approach to the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of adrenal incidentalomas, with a special focus on the areas of discrepancy/controversy existing among the published guidelines from other associations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This guideline was developed by the Canadian Urological Association (CUA) through a working group comprised of urologists, endocrinologists, and radiologists and subsequently endorsed by the American Urological Association (AUA). A systematic review utilizing the GRADE approach served as the basis for evidence-based recommendations with consensus statements provided in the absence of evidence. For each guideline statement, the strength of recommendation was reported as weak or strong, and the quality of evidence was evaluated as low, medium, or high.

RESULTS

The CUA working group provided evidence- and consensus-based recommendations based on an updated systematic review and subject matter expertise. Important updates on evidence-based radiological evaluation and hormonal testing are included in the recommendations. This guideline clarifies which patients may benefit from surgery and highlights where short term surveillance is appropriate.

CONCLUSION

Incidentally detected adrenal masses require a comprehensive assessment of hormonal function and oncologic risk. This guideline provides a contemporary approach to the appropriate clinical, radiographic, and endocrine assessments required for the evaluation, management, and follow-up of patients with such lesions.

Utilizing dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and its ratio for detecting mild autonomous cortisol excess in patients with adrenal incidentaloma

Subclinical Cushing syndrome is a condition of mild autonomous cortisol excess (MACE) that lacks typical features of Cushing syndrome but is associated with many complications. It represents a common hormonal dysfunction among patients with adrenal incidentaloma (AI), defined as unexpected masses or lesions found in the adrenal glands during radiological examinations of the chest or abdomen unrelated to adrenal gland assessment. The study evaluated the accuracy of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate ratio (calculated by dividing the DHEA-S value by the age and sex-adjusted normal range of DHEA-S) in detecting MACE in AI patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April 2021 to July 2022 at the Faiha Specialized Diabetes, Endocrine, and Metabolism Centre (FDEMC) in Basrah, southern Iraq, involving 38 AI patients. Comprehensive laboratory and radiological evaluations were performed, including tests for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), renin, aldosterone, aldosterone/renin ratio (ARR), metanephrine, normetanephrine, cortisol, DHEA-S, and the 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (1-mg ONDST). Among the AI patients, 14% had MACE. Both DHEA-S ≤75 µg/dL and a DHEA-S ratio ≤1.7 exhibited a sensitivity of 80% each, with specificities of 73.3% and 76.6%, respectively, in diagnosing MACE in individuals aged ≤65 years. The negative predictive values were 95.7% and 95.8%, respectively. Low DHEA-S and DHEA-S ratio had high sensitivity and specificity in predicting MACE among AI patients aged ≤65 years, with strong negative predictive value.

Prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with adrenal incidentalomas: a study of 709 cases

AIM

To evaluate the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes in patients with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAI) or adrenal incidentalomas (AI) with autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS).

METHODS

In this single-center retrospective study, all patients with adrenal incidentalomas ≥1 cm and ACS or NFAI studied between 2013 and 2020 were included. ACS was defined by a post-dexamethasone suppression test (DST) serum cortisol concentration ≥1.8 μg/dl, in the absence of signs of hypercortisolism, and NFAI was defined as a DST < 1.8 μg/dl without biochemical evidence of hypersecretion of other hormones.

RESULTS

Inclusion criteria were met by 231 patients with ACS and 478 with NFAI. At diagnosis, type 2 diabetes was present in 24.3% of patients. No differences were found in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (27.7 vs. 22.6%, P = 0.137) between patients with ACS and NFAI. However, fasting plasma glucose values and glycated hemoglobin levels were significantly higher in patients with ACS than with NFAI (112 ± 35.6 vs. 105 ± 29 mg/dl, P = 0.004; and 6.5 ± 1.4 vs. 6.1 ± 0.9%, P = 0.005, respectively). Furthermore, patients with type 2 diabetes had higher urinary free cortisol (P = 0.039) and late-night salivary cortisol levels (P = 0.010) than those without type 2 diabetes. After a median follow-up of 28 months, no differences were found in the incidence of type 2 diabetes between the groups (HR 1.17, 95% 0.52-2.64).

CONCLUSION

Type 2 diabetes was present in one fourth of our cohort. We found no differences in its prevalence or incidence between the groups. However, glycemic control might be worse among diabetic patients with ACS. Higher concentrations of urinary and salivary cortisol were found in patients with than without type 2 diabetes.

Iliopsoas muscle to visceral fat ratio on CT predicts Cushing's syndrome in elderly females with adrenal tumors

There is no computed tomography (CT)-based numerical index for predicting Cushing's syndrome (CS) in patients with adrenal incidentalomas. We tested the hypothesis that the iliopsoas muscle (Ip-M) to visceral fat (V-fat) ratio (IVR) on CT may predict CS in elderly female patients with adrenal tumors. We examined the V-fat area, subcutaneous fat (S-fat) area, Ip-M area, V-fat/S-fat ratio, and IVR at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) level using abdominal CT in female patients aged ≥50 years with cortisol-producing adrenal tumor diagnosed with CS or non-functioning adrenal tumor (NFT) in the derivation cohort. We performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate the diagnostic value of the V-fat/S-fat ratio and IVR for predicting CS. We assessed the usefulness of the IVR in a separate validation cohort. In the derivation cohort, the IVR was significantly lower in the 9 patients with CS than in the 15 patients with NFT (p < 0.001). In ROC analysis with a cut-off value of 0.067, the IVR showed a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 80.0%, positive likelihood ratio (PLR) of 5.000, and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of 0.000. The area under the curve was significantly higher for the IVR than for the V-fat/S-fat ratio (0.933 vs. 0.704, respectively, p = 0.036). In 23 patients in the validation cohort, the IVR demonstrated a PLR of 5.714 and an NLR of 0.327. The novel IVR index, based on single-slice CT at the L3 level, predicted CS in elderly female patients with adrenal tumors.

An unusual cause of adrenal insufficiency with elevation of 17-hydroxyprogesterone: case report

BACKGROUND

We present an intriguing case of primary adrenal lymphoma, with associated primary adrenal insufficiency (PAI), in a patient presenting a transitory partial 21-hydroxylase deficiency during the active phase of the adrenal disease.

CASE PRESENTATION

An 85-years old woman was referred because of worsening asthenia, lumbar pain, generalized myalgia and arthralgia. During investigations a computed tomography (CT) scan evidenced two large bilateral adrenal masses, highly suspicious for primary adrenal tumor. The hormonal assessment revealed very low levels of morning plasma cortisol and 24-h urinary cortisol, elevated ACTH levels with low plasma concentration of aldosterone, pointing to the diagnosis of PAI. After diagnosis of PAI our patient started glucocorticoid and mineralcorticoid replacement therapy with clinical benefit. In order to further characterize the adrenal lesions, adrenal biopsy, was performed. The histology revealed a high grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma with an immunophenotype consistent with intermediate aspects between diffuse large B-cell and Burkitt lymphoma, with a high proliferation index (KI-67 > 90%). The patient received chemotherapy with epirubicin, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab, associated with methylprednisolone that resulted in a complete clinical and radiological remission within one year. After 2 years from the diagnosis and a total of 6 cycles of rituximab, the patient was in good clinical condition and was taking only the replacement therapy for PAI. The patient initially presented also a slight increase of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) for age that normalize after resolution of lymphoproliferative disease.

CONCLUSIONS

In the presence of bilateral adrenal disease and/or in the presence of signs and symptoms of PAI clinicians must exclude the presence of PAL. The evidence of elevated ACTH-stimulated 17-OHP levels also in patients with other adrenal masses, together with the detection of elevated basal 17-OHP levels in our patient make it more plausible, in our view, an effect of the lesion on the "healthy" adrenal tissue residue than a direct secretory activity by the adrenal tumor.

Castleman disease: a case report of an unusual adrenal incidentaloma and literature review

Adrenal incidentaloma (AI) is an incidental detection of an adrenal mass on an image not performed for a suspected adrenal problem. AI has become a commonly encountered lesion that requires further investigations for evidence of hormonal hypersecretion or malignancy potential. According to guidelines, surgical intervention is the standard of care for unilateral AI. We report on a case of a 64-year-old female who presented with a nonfunctional adrenal mass associated with compressive symptoms, which was revealed to be a mixed hyaline vascular and plasma cell variant Castleman disease (CD) after surgical resection. Although hyaline vascular variant and plasma cell variant of CD has been identified in adrenal glands, this is the first report of a mixed hyaline vascular and plasma cell variant in an adrenal mass.

Prevalence of reported incidental adrenal findings in chest computerized tomography scans performed during the COVID-19 pandemic in a single center in Northeast Brazil

Objective

We investigated the prevalence of adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) in a nonselected Brazilian population in chest computed tomography (CT) performed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods

This was a retrospective cross-sectional observational study using chest CT reports from a tertiary in- and outpatient radiology clinic from March to September 2020. AIs were defined by changes in the shape, size, or density of the gland initially identified in the released report. Individuals with multiple studies were included, and duplicates were removed. Exams with positive findings were reviewed by a single radiologist.

Results

A total of 10,329 chest CTs were reviewed, and after duplicate removal, 8,207 exams were included. The median age was 45 years [IQR 35-59 years], and 4,667 (56.8%) were female. Thirty-eight lesions were identified in 36 patients (prevalence 0.44%). A higher prevalence was observed with age, with 94.4% of the findings in patients aged 40 years and over (RR 9.98 IC 2.39-41.58, p 0.002), but there was no significant difference between the sexes. Seventeen lesions (44.7%) had more than 10 HU, and five lesions (12.1%) were more than 4 cm.

Conclusion

The prevalence of AIs in an unselected and unreviewed population in a Brazilian clinic is low. The impact on the health system caused by AIs discovered during the pandemic should be small regarding the need for specialized follow-up.

Adrenal findings in FDG-PET: analysis of a cohort of 1021 patients from a cancer center

PURPOSE

The use of FDG-PET for cancer staging has led to the increasing incidence of adrenal lesions, which are usually a clinical challenge. We aimed to characterize the adrenal lesions found in FDG-PET of patients followed in a cancer center.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis was conducted of all FDG-PET studies performed in our center in the last 10 years. Exams reporting adrenal lesions in the CT component and/or anomalous adrenal FDG uptake were selected. Cases were characterized by the clinical, laboratory, imaging, and pathological findings.

RESULTS

We identified 27,427 FDG-PET studies. Of those, 7.6% reported adrenal findings. We included 1364 exams corresponding to 1021 patients. Only 15.6% of the patients were referred to the Endocrinology Department and 38% of the lesions were not studied. In 38.9% of the studied patients, malignant lesions were present, including metastases in 37.5%, carcinoma in 1.2%, and other malignant tumors in 0.4%. The median SUVmax of malignant lesions was significantly higher than the SUVmax of the benign findings (p < 0.05). We also observed a higher median SUVmax in adrenal metastases than in adenomas (p < 0.05). There was a tendency for higher SUVmax of adrenal carcinomas when compared with other malignant lesions (p = 0.066). The median SUVmax was not different between pheochromocytomas and other tumors (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Occult adrenal lesions discovered during FDG-PET/CT are common in the cancer context and are frequently benign. SUVmax may be a useful tool in the workup of adrenal lesions but with several important caveats.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia in patients with adrenal tumors: a population-based case-control study

PURPOSE

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) has been associated with adrenal tumors (ATs) but the relationship is still unclear. The aim was to investigate if CAH was more common in patients with adrenal tumors and their characteristics.

METHODS

Using national registers all patients with an AT diagnosis (cases) and selected matched controls without AT diagnosis were included from 1st January 2005 to 31st December 2019. The patients with a CAH diagnosis were scrutinized in detail.

RESULTS

ATs were diagnosed in 26,573 individuals and in none of 144,124 controls. In 20 patients with ATs and 1 control, a CAH diagnosis was present. The odds for having CAH in patients with ATs was 109 (95% CI 15-809; P < 0.0001). Among cases, 5 had a CAH diagnosis before the discovery of ATs and 15 afterwards. Half were females and two had been screened for CAH neonatally. The mean age when the ATs was discovered was 55.6 years. Adrenalectomy was performed in seven patients. Five patients had unilateral adrenalectomy before the CAH diagnosis and did not have any glucocorticoid protection. After the CAH diagnosis, 15 were initiated on glucocorticoids and 6 on mineralocorticoids. The majority diagnosed with CAH before index date had classic CAH. In individual diagnosed after index date, only three had classic CAH. The rest had nonclassical CAH. During the follow-up time of 9 years, six deceased, two of them in an adrenal crisis.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of CAH was greater in patients with ATs than in patients without. In all patients with ATs, CAH should be considered.

Investigation and assessment of adrenal incidentalomas

With the increasing volume of diagnostic imaging undertaken in an ageing population, adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) are increasingly commonly seen. These masses are most likely to be benign, but a small proportion may be malignant. Similarly, they are usually non-functional, but ∼14% are functional, ie hormone-secreting tumours. Clinical, biochemical and radiological assessment is mandated to stratify patients into those requiring radiological surveillance, medical management or surgical intervention or who can be discharged. Mass characteristics on cross-sectional (CT/MRI) imaging influence the need for radiological surveillance. Functional tumours where excess cortisol, aldosterone or catecholamine are secreted should be excluded, with mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) and primary aldosteronism (PA) as the two most common functional states. MACS and PA are associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease (eg hypertension, type 2 diabetes) and cardiovascular morbidity/mortality (eg coronary heart disease). Multidisciplinary management is critical for selected cases; the majority of adrenal incidentalomas only require a single assessment.

Lexicon for adrenal terms at CT and MRI: a consensus of the Society of Abdominal Radiology adrenal neoplasm disease-focused panel

PURPOSE

Substantial variation in imaging terms used to describe the adrenal gland and adrenal findings leads to ambiguity and uncertainty in radiology reports and subsequently their understanding by referring clinicians. The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized lexicon to describe adrenal imaging findings at CT and MRI.

METHODS

Fourteen members of the Society of Abdominal Radiology adrenal neoplasm disease-focused panel (SAR-DFP) including one endocrine surgeon participated to develop an adrenal lexicon using a modified Delphi process to reach consensus. Five radiologists prepared a preliminary list of 35 imaging terms that was sent to the full group as an online survey (19 general imaging terms, 9 specific to CT, and 7 specific to MRI). In the first round, members voted on terms to be included and proposed definitions; subsequent two rounds were used to achieve consensus on definitions (defined as ≥ 80% agreement).

RESULTS

Consensus for inclusion was reached on 33/35 terms with two terms excluded (anterior limb and normal adrenal size measurements). Greater than 80% consensus was reached on the definitions for 15 terms following the first round, with subsequent consensus achieved for the definitions of the remaining 18 terms following two additional rounds. No included term had remaining disagreement.

CONCLUSION

Expert consensus produced a standardized lexicon for reporting adrenal findings at CT and MRI. The use of this consensus lexicon should improve radiology report clarity, standardize clinical and research terminology, and reduce uncertainty for referring providers when adrenal findings are present.

Mortality not increased in patients with non-functional adrenal adenomas: a matched cohort study

CONTEXT

Mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) is associated with increased mortality in patients with adrenal incidentalomas (AI), but little is known regarding the potential risk associated with non-functional adrenal adenomas (NFAA), which constitute the majority of AI.

OBJECTIVE

Compare mortality risk in patients with NFAA, and different levels of MACS, to matched controls.

METHOD

This was a retrospective matched cohort study. All patients referred to two endocrine centres in southern Sweden because of an AI between 2005 and 2015 were enrolled. Controls (3:1) matched for sex, age, and residency were included. Primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Outcome data was obtained from the Cause of Death Register. Patients were grouped according to cortisol level post 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (cortisolDST) (<50 (NFAA), 50-82, 83-137, and ≥138 nmol/L).

RESULTS

1154 patients and 3462 matched controls were included. During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 210 patients and 505 controls died. There were no statistically significant differences in mortality between patients with NFAA and their controls (HR 1.13 (0.87-1.46)) whereas mortality was increased compared to controls in patients with cortisolDST 83-137 (HR 1.99 (1.38-2.88)) and ≥138 nmol/L (HR 4.09 (2.41-6.93)). Likewise, the mortality risk was increased inpatients younger than 65 years with cortisolDST 50-82 nmol/L compared to controls (HR 2.33 (1.30-4.17)).

CONCLUSION

NFAA does not seem to pose a clinically relevant risk for increased mortality in patients with AI while patients with MACS, and especially younger patients and those with cortisolDST ≥83 nmol/L, have significantly increased mortality risk compared to matched controls.

[Adrenal tumors: diagnostics, perioperative management and surgical treatment]

Space-occupying lesions of the adrenal glands are one of the most frequent tumors; however, only a fraction of approximately 20% need further diagnostics and treatment. The diagnostic standard is native computed tomography (CT). For larger tumors and those that cannot be clearly classified as benign, the supplementary radiological modalities magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), contrast CT and ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸F-FDG-PET) should be used. Adrenal gland neoplasms can be hormone-active or hormone-inactive. The most important hormone-active adrenal gland neoplasms are those with autonomous cortisol secretion and autonomous aldosterone secretion as well as pheochromocytomas. Several laboratory tests are available each for the respective hormone activity. The indications for surgery are dependent on the dignity, size and hormone activity. Minimally invasive surgical techniques have become more important due to advantages such as lower blood loss; nevertheless, open surgery is still indispensable for large suspected tumors. Care must be taken preoperatively and postoperatively, particularly in cases of hormone-active tumors.

Possible, probable, and certain hypercortisolism: A continuum in the risk of comorbidity

Hypercortisolism may be considered as a continuum in terms of both hormonal and cardiometabolic abnormalities. It ranges from cases with "normal" hormonal profile and low to intermediate risk of comorbidity to florid cases with clear clinical and hormonal evidence of glucocorticoid excess and clearly increased cardiometabolic risk. Even in patients with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentaloma (NFAI), defined as adrenal incidentaloma with normal results on the currently available hormonal test for evaluation of hypercortisolism, cardiometabolic and mortality risk is higher than in the general population without adrenal lesions. Mild hypercortisolism or autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) is a term used for patients with adrenal incidentaloma and pathological dexamethasone suppression test (DST) results, but without specific clinical signs of hypercortisolism. It is widely known that this condition is linked to higher prevalence of several cardiometabolic comorbidities, including diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome, than in patients with NFAI or without adrenal tumor. In case of overt Cushing's syndrome, cardiovascular risk is extremely high, and standard mortality ratio is high, cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death. The present review summarizes the current evidence for a detrimental cardiometabolic profile in patients with possible (NFAI), probable (ACS) and certain hypercortisolism (overt Cushing's syndrome).

An adrenal incidentaloma that had appeared to produce dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate in excess before immunohistochemical study of the tumor

Adrenal incidentaloma is a clinically unapparent adrenal mass more than one cm in diameter detected during imaging performed not for adrenal disease. A 34-year-old man was evaluated for AI with a diameter of 3.5 cm in the left adrenal. He was obese with body mass index of 33,9. Blood pressure was 110-120/90 mmHg. The general laboratory tests were unremarkable. An adrenal hormone screening set revealed that ACTH was 6.9 pg/mL, cortisol 14.9 μg/dL, renin activity 0.9 ng/mL/h, aldosterone 79.4 pg/mL, dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) measured on two occasions 5,217 ng/mL and 6,477 ng/mL (gender- and age-adjusted reference values, 1,060-4,640 ng/mL). The levels of metanephrine and normetanephrine were normal. The tumor was thought to produce solely DHEA-S. The excised left adrenal tissue contained a tumor with a diameter of 26 mm and neighboring adrenal tissue. The tumor consisted mostly of acidophil cells without necrosis, capsular or vascular invasion, and mitosis. Immunohistochemical study revealed followings: the cells of the tumors were stained positive for 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and 17α-hydroxylase, and 11β-hydroxylase, weakly positive for DHEA sulphotransferase, and negative for aldosterone synthetase. The atrophy of neighboring tissue was presumably caused by excess cortisol production. Four months after surgery, the cortisol level was 11.2 μg/dL and DHEA-S level 1,462 ng/mL. The tumor is considered to be a cortisol-producing adenoma with modestly excessive DHEA-S production rather than isolated DHEA-S-producing adenoma. Immunohistochemical study of steroidogenic enzymes is a valuable addition to blood hormone measurement to clarify steroid production profile.

A case of adrenocortical carcinoma diagnosed 9 years after the discovery of adrenal incidentaloma

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an uncommon cause of adrenal incidentaloma (AI). ACCs generally occur in large sizes, >4 cm in diameter, at initial presentation and grow rapidly. Therefore, there have been few reports of cases with long-term follow-up with imaging before ACC was diagnosed. Herein, we present a case of an adrenal mass that had remained small and unchanged for 5 years but later grew rapidly and was finally diagnosed as ACC. A 77-year-old hypertensive woman was referred to our hospital for the examination of a 5.4-cm left adrenal mass. Upon reviewing her previous unenhanced computed tomography (CT) scan, a 1.6-cm and 30 Hounsfield units (HU), homogeneous, round, left adrenal mass was incidentally detected 9 years ago. This mass remained unchanged until 4 years ago. One year ago, the mass enlarged to 3.0-cm and changed into an irregular form with heterogeneous density. The hormonal evaluation during the 9 years from the discovery of the AI was inadequate. The present examination diagnosed this case as ACC with subclinical Cushing's syndrome. The patient underwent laparoscopic left adrenalectomy, and a histological diagnosis of high-grade ACC was made. The resected tumor had the CTNNB1 gene mutation. High unenhanced CT attenuation values (>10 HU) are one of the findings that raise suspicion of malignancy. This case suggests that patients with findings atypical of adenomas on an initial unenhanced CT might be carefully followed up given the possibility of development of ACCs, even if the initial tumor size is small.

French AFU Cancer Committee Guidelines Update 2022-2024: Adrenal tumor - Assessment of an adrenal incidetaloma and oncological management

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this publication is to recall the initial work-up when faced with an adrenal incidentaloma and, if necessary, to establish the oncological management of an adrenal malignant tumor.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The multidisciplinary working group updated French urological guidelines about oncological assessment of the adrenal incidentaloma, established by the CCAFU in 2020, based on an exhaustive literature review carried out on PubMed.

RESULTS

Although the majority of the adrenal masses are benign and non-functional, it is important to investigate them, as a percentage of these can cause serious endocrine diseases or be cancers. Malignant adrenal tumors are mainly represented by adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC), malignant pheochromocytomas (MPC) and adrenal metastases (AM). The malignancy assessment of an adrenal incident includes a complete history, a physical examination, a biochemical/hormonal assessment to look for subclinical hormonal secretion. Diagnostic hypotheses are sometimes available at this stage, but it is the morphological and functional imaging and the histological analysis, which will make it possible to close the malignancy assessment and make the oncological diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

ACC and MPC are mainly sporadic but a hereditary origin is always possible. ACC is suspected preoperatively but the diagnosis of certainty is histological. The diagnosis of MPC is more delicate and is based on clinic, biology and imagery. The diagnosis of certainty of AM requires a percutaneous biopsy. At the end, the files must be discussed within the COMETE - adrenal cancer network (Appendix 1).

A 15-year pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma experience in a single centre: a Singapore perspective

Introduction

Pheochromocytomas (PCC) and paragangliomas (PGL) are rare endocrine tumours. The objective of this study was to describe our experience with these two entities in a Singapore population.

Methods

We identified patients with positive histopathological confirmations of PCC and PGL who were treated at a tertiary Singapore hospital between January 2000 and December 2015. The results were analysed for clinical presentations, treatment and long-term outcomes.

Results

A total of 27 cases (20 PCC, 7 PGL) were identified over a 15-year period. One case of PGL developed bilateral disease on follow-up. There were 17 male and 10 female patients with a median age of 57 (range 24-77) years. A positive family history was uncommon and present in only 3.7% of patients. Uniquely, the top three presenting symptoms were abdominal discomfort, palpitations and diaphoresis. Despite adequate preoperative preparation, intraoperative haemodynamic instability occurred in 70.4% and early postoperative hypotension occurred in 11.1% of patients. After surgery, hypertension was resolved in 41.2% (7/17) and diabetes mellitus in 60% (3/5). Disease recurrence was reported in 22.2% and distant metastases in 14.8%. At the end of the follow-up period (median 35 [range 3-148] months), 70.4% were still alive.

Conclusion

PCC and PGL can present with a wide range of symptoms. Intraoperative haemodynamic instability was frequent despite good preoperative preparation. Disease recurrences and metastasis occurred in up to one-fifth of the patients. Genetic screening should be offered to patients with PCC and PGL.

Application of radiomics in adrenal incidentaloma: a literature review

Assessment of adrenal incidentaloma relies on imaging analysis and evaluation of adrenal function. Radiomics as a tool for quantitative image analysis is useful for evaluation of adrenal incidentaloma. In this review, we examined radiomic literature on adrenal incidentaloma including both adrenal functional assessment and structural differentiation of benign versus malignant adrenal tumors. In this review, we summarized the status of radiomic application on adrenal incidentaloma and suggested potential direction for future research.

Adrenalectomy improves blood pressure control in nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas and glycemic and lipid control in patients with autonomous cortisol secretion

PURPOSE

To compare the evolution of the cardiometabolic parameters in patients with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAI) and autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS) who underwent adrenalectomy and those who were conservatively managed.

METHODS

A retrospective study of all patients with NFAI and ACS submitted to surgery or in follow-up in our center between January 2011-October 2020. NFAI was defined as an adrenal incidentaloma with cortisol post-dexamethasone suppression test (DST) ≤ 50 nmol/L and ACS as values >50 nmol/L without specific clinical signs of overt Cushing´s syndrome.

RESULTS

A total of 486 patients with NFAI (16 in the surgical group and 470 in the control group) and 259 with ACS (42 in the surgical group and 217 in the control group) were included. At baseline, patients with ACS were older than those with NFAI (P = 0.010). After adjusting by age, patients with ACS had a higher prevalence of hypertension (adjusted OR = 1.9 [1.36-2.60]) and higher levels of fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c (adjusted β = 6.9 [2.05-11.83] and adjusted β = 0.4 [0.12-0.63]) than NFAI. During follow-up, ACS patients who underwent adrenalectomy had a greater decrease in glucose levels (-16.6 ± 45.07 vs. -1.0 ± 26.92 mg/dL, P = 0.035) and in triglycerides (-20.21 ± 55.97 vs. 1.3 ± 59.23 mg/dL, P = 0.029) than ACS patients conservatively managed. NFAI patients who underwent surgery experienced an improvement in systolic blood pressure compared to NFAI of the conservative group (-11.1 ± 15.94 vs 1.0 ± 17.54 mmHg, P = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

The benefits of adrenalectomy in the cardiometabolic profile in adrenal incidentalomas are not limited only to the group of patients with ACS, an improvement in blood pressure control is also observed in NFAI patients after surgery.

Unilateral adrenal tuberculosis whose computed tomography imaging characteristics mimic a malignant tumor: A case report

BACKGROUND

Adrenal tuberculosis usually presents with bilateral involvement. It has special characteristics in computed tomography (CT) images, such as small size, low attenuation in the center, and peripheral rim enhancement, which differ from those of primary tumors.

CASE SUMMARY

A 42-year-old female presented to the hospital with low back pain. She had been diagnosed with hypertension as well as pulmonary and cerebral tuberculosis but denied having any fever, fatigue, anorexia, night sweats, cough, or weight loss. Abdominal CT revealed an irregular 6.0 cm × 4.5 cm mass with uneven density in the right adrenal gland, while the left adrenal gland was normal. No abnormalities were observed in plasma total cortisol (8 am), adrenocorticotropic hormone, aldosterone/renin ratio, blood catecholamines, or urine catecholamines. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the right adrenal gland provided evidence of tuberculosis. After three years of anti-tuberculosis treatments, the large mass in the right adrenal gland was reduced to a slight enlargement.

CONCLUSION

This is a case of unilateral adrenal tuberculosis with CT imaging characteristics mimicking those of a malignant tumor. Extended anti-tuberculosis therapy is recommended in such cases.

NEW BIOMARKERS TO PREDICT CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN PATIENTS WITH ADRENAL INCIDENTALOMA; IRISIN AND NESFATIN-1

OBJECTIVE

In our study, we aimed to investigate the levels of irisin, nesfatin-1 and the relationship between levels of these relatively new molecules with cardiometabolic risk markers; carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness in patients with nonfunctional adrenal incidentaloma (NFAI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with NFAI (n=59) and age, sex and body mass index-matched healthy control subjects (n=59) were enrolled in this study. Serum glucose, insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), lipid, irisin and nesfatin-1 levels and echocardiographic CIMT and EAT thickness measurements were performed in patients and controls.

RESULTS

The irisin level was 17.58 ± 4.38 pg/mL in the NFAI group, significantly higher (p<0.001) than 14.03 ± 4.03 pg/mL in the control group. Nesfatin-1 level was significantly lower in the NFAI group 194.98 ± 119.15 pg/mL ((p < 0.001)) versus 303.48 ± 200.78 pg/mL in the control group. A positive correlation was found between irisin and nesfatin-1 levels and CIMT and EAT thickness in the NFAI group.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, we found that irisin level was higher and nesfatin-1 level was lower in patients with NFAI, and both irisin and nesfatin-1 levels were associated with CIMT and EAT thickness in NFAI patients.

Missed Opportunities to Promptly Diagnose and Treat Adrenal Tumors

INTRODUCTION

Adrenal mass management guidelines are insufficiently applied, and timeliness of treatment is unknown. We evaluated missed opportunities to promptly diagnose and treat adrenal tumors that ultimately required adrenalectomy.

METHODS

From the Veterans Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse, we identified patients who underwent adrenalectomy (2010-2016) in the South-Central Veterans Affairs HealthCare Network and reviewed their records. Diagnostic timeliness was assessed by the interval between initial (index) imaging with adrenal abnormality and the next diagnostic step. Workup was defined as early (interval ≤6 mo) or late (>6 mo). Adrenalectomy was considered prompt when the interval between index imaging and adrenalectomy was ≤12 mo and delayed when this was >12 mo. We quantified diagnostic and treatment delays and assessed factors associated with delayed adrenalectomy.

RESULTS

During the study period, 84 patients underwent adrenalectomy: male (86.9%), White (57.1%), with a mean age of 58.7 y (±8.8). Of those, 25 (29.8%) had late workup, and 36 (42.9%) had delayed surgery (median interval: 44 mo, range 14-282). Late hormonal workup occurred in 24 of 36 (66.7%) patients with delayed surgery, compared with one of 48 (2.1%, P < 0.001) with prompt surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Missed opportunities in prompt diagnosis and treatment were common in patients with adrenal masses ultimately requiring adrenalectomy. Late hormonal workup is associated with delayed adrenalectomy. Interventions are needed to aid clinicians to recognize the presence, promptly evaluate, and make guideline-informed decisions on the management of an adrenal mass.

Overview of the 2022 WHO Classification of Adrenal Cortical Tumors

The new WHO classification of adrenal cortical proliferations reflects translational advances in the fields of endocrine pathology, oncology and molecular biology. By adopting a question-answer framework, this review highlights advances in knowledge of histological features, ancillary studies, and associated genetic findings that increase the understanding of the adrenal cortex pathologies that are now reflected in the 2022 WHO classification. The pathological correlates of adrenal cortical proliferations include diffuse adrenal cortical hyperplasia, adrenal cortical nodular disease, adrenal cortical adenomas and adrenal cortical carcinomas. Understanding germline susceptibility and the clonal-neoplastic nature of individual adrenal cortical nodules in primary bilateral macronodular adrenal cortical disease, and recognition of the clonal-neoplastic nature of incidentally discovered non-functional subcentimeter benign adrenal cortical nodules has led to redefining the spectrum of adrenal cortical nodular disease. As a consequence, the most significant nomenclature change in the field of adrenal cortical pathology involves the refined classification of adrenal cortical nodular disease which now includes (a) sporadic nodular adrenocortical disease, (b) bilateral micronodular adrenal cortical disease, and (c) bilateral macronodular adrenal cortical disease (formerly known primary bilateral macronodular adrenal cortical hyperplasia). This group of clinicopathological entities are reflected in functional adrenal cortical pathologies. Aldosterone producing cortical lesions can be unifocal or multifocal, and may be bilateral with no imaging-detected nodule(s). Furthermore, not all grossly or radiologically identified adrenal cortical lesions may be the source of aldosterone excess. For this reason, the new WHO classification endorses the nomenclature of the HISTALDO classification which uses CYP11B2 immunohistochemistry to identify functional sites of aldosterone production to help predict the risk of bilateral disease in primary aldosteronism. Adrenal cortical carcinomas are subtyped based on their morphological features to include conventional, oncocytic, myxoid, and sarcomatoid subtypes. Although the classic histopathologic criteria for diagnosing adrenal cortical carcinomas have not changed, the 2022 WHO classification underscores the diagnostic and prognostic impact of angioinvasion (vascular invasion) in these tumors. Microscopic angioinvasion is defined as tumor cells invading through a vessel wall and forming a thrombus/fibrin-tumor complex or intravascular tumor cells admixed with platelet thrombus/fibrin. In addition to well-established Weiss and modified Weiss scoring systems, the new WHO classification also expands on the use of other multiparameter diagnostic algorithms (reticulin algorithm, Lin-Weiss-Bisceglia system, and Helsinki scoring system) to assist the workup of adrenal cortical neoplasms in adults. Accordingly, conventional carcinomas can be assessed using all multiparameter diagnostic schemes, whereas oncocytic neoplasms can be assessed using the Lin-Weiss-Bisceglia system, reticulin algorithm and Helsinki scoring system. Pediatric adrenal cortical neoplasms are assessed using the Wieneke system. Most adult adrenal cortical carcinomas show > 5 mitoses per 10 mm² and > 5% Ki67. The 2022 WHO classification places an emphasis on an accurate assessment of tumor proliferation rate using both the mitotic count (mitoses per 10 mm²) and Ki67 labeling index which play an essential role in the dynamic risk stratification of affected patients. Low grade carcinomas have mitotic rate of ≤ 20 mitoses per 10 mm², whereas high-grade carcinomas show > 20 mitoses per 10 mm². Ki67-based tumor grading has not been endorsed in the new WHO classification, since the proliferation indices are continuous variables rather than being static thresholds in tumor biology. This new WHO classification emphasizes the role of diagnostic and predictive biomarkers in the workup of adrenal cortical neoplasms. Confirmation of the adrenal cortical origin of a tumor remains a critical requirement when dealing with non-functional lesions in the adrenal gland which may be mistaken for a primary adrenal cortical neoplasm. While SF1 is the most reliable biomarker in the confirmation of adrenal cortical origin, paranuclear IGF2 expression is a useful biomarker in the distinction of malignancy in adrenal cortical neoplasms. In addition to adrenal myelolipoma, the new classification of adrenal cortical tumors has introduced new sections including adrenal ectopia, based on the potential role of such ectopic tissue as a possible source of neoplastic proliferations as well as a potential mimicker of metastatic disease. Adrenal cysts are also discussed in the new classification as they may simulate primary cystic adrenal neoplasms or even adrenal cortical carcinomas in the setting of an adrenal pseudocyst.

Adrenal schwannoma: why should endocrinologists be aware of this uncommon tumour?

PURPOSE

Adrenal schwannomas (AS) are rare tumours arising from Schwann cells. Due to the high prevalence of adrenal incidentalomas, running into very rare adrenal tumours has become a possibility for high volume expert centres. So far, the clinical behaviour and the radiological characteristics of AS make the pre-operative diagnosis of AS extremely challenging. Due to limited information available, we wanted to summarise the main features of this tumours, in order to raise the profile of an uncommon disease.

METHODS

We performed a MEDLINE and EMBASE research to review the literature. We found 57 case reports and case series and a total of 169 cases, including 2 more cases found in our Institutions. We collected data regarding year of publication, sex, age, and, when available, clinical presentation, hormonal data, radiological features, tumour site and size, treatment, histology and follow-up.

RESULTS

We analysed and discussed the clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics of cases identified, underlying the critical aspects of assessment and management of these tumours which still remain questioned, as, currently, pathologic examination is the only way to make the diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The pre-operative diagnosis of AS is more than challenging and pathologic examination is so far the only way to make a certain diagnosis. Therefore, it is important to consider also the AS in the list of possible diagnoses when faced with a large not secreting adrenal tumour, with suspicious radiological features.

Frequently asked questions and answers (if any) in patients with adrenal incidentaloma

PURPOSE

Adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) are incidentally discovered adrenal masses, during an imaging study undertaken for other reasons than the suspicion of adrenal disease. Their management is not a minor concern for patients and health-care related costs, since their increasing prevalence in the aging population. The exclusion of malignancy is the first question to attempt, then a careful evaluation of adrenal hormones is suggested. Surgery should be considered in case of overt secretion (primary aldosteronism, adrenal Cushing's Syndrome or pheochromocytoma), however the management of subclinical secretion is still a matter of debate.

METHODS

The aim of the present narrative review is to offer a practical guidance regarding the management of AI, by providing evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions.

CONCLUSION

The clinical experience is of utmost importance: a personalized diagnostic-therapeutic approach, based upon multidisciplinary discussion, is suggested.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Adrenal Mass Evaluation: 2021 Update

The appropriate evaluation of adrenal masses is strongly dependent on the clinical circumstances in which it is discovered. Adrenal incidentalomas are masses that are discovered on imaging studies that have been obtained for purposes other than adrenal disease. Although the vast majority of adrenal incidentalomas are benign, further radiological and biochemical evaluation of these lesions is important to arrive at a specific diagnosis. Patients with a history of malignancy or symptoms of excess hormone require different imaging evaluations than patients with incidentalomas. This document reviews imaging approaches to adrenal masses and the various modalities utilized in evaluation of adrenal lesions. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

Management of Incidentalomas

Incidental findings are common in the evaluation of surgical patients. Understanding the appropriate assessment and management of these frequent occurrences is important for the provision of comprehensive quality care. This review details the epidemiology, considerations, and recommendations for management of common incidental manifestations in surgical patients, including Meckel diverticulum, adrenal incidentaloma, thyroid nodule, solitary pulmonary nodule, small bowel intussusception, gallstones, and incidental appendectomy.

Adrenal incidentaloma as a novel independent predictive factor for periodontitis

PURPOSE

There are no data regarding periodontal derangements in patients with adrenal incidentalomas (AI). We assessed the frequency and severity of periodontitis in patients with AI [non-functioning adrenal incidentaloma (NFAI) and possible autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS)] and compared with individuals with normal adrenal.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study evaluated thirty-five individuals with AI and 26 controls. NFAI and possible ACS diagnosis was based on the current guidelines: NFAI [cortisol levels after 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (1 mg-DST) ≤ 1.8 µg/dL (≤ 50 nmol/L)]; possible ACS [cortisol levels after 1 mg-DST 1.9-5.0 µg/dL (51-138 nmol/L)]. Sociodemographic data were collected, and a full-mouth periodontal evaluation was performed.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between groups regarding age, sex, income, ethnicity, education level, smoking, body mass index, dysglycemia, and arterial hypertension. Patients with AI exhibited worse periodontal conditions than controls for the following periodontal clinical parameters: mean percentage of probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) ≥ 5 mm (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively). Patients with NFAI and possible ACS showed higher gingival bleeding index (p = 0.014), bleeding on probing (p < 0.001), and CAL (p < 0.001) means compared to controls. The frequencies of periodontitis were 72.7% in patients with NFAI, 84.6% in possible ACS, and 30.8% in controls (p = 0.001). Periodontitis was more severe in patients with possible ACS than NFAI and controls. Patients with NFAI and possible ACS exhibited odds ratio for periodontitis of 4.9 (p = 0.016) and 8.6 (p = 0.02), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Patients with AI have higher frequency and severity of periodontitis than controls. The presence of AI was an independent predictive factor for periodontitis.

[Autonomous cortisol secretion : Laboratory artifact or disease?]

BACKGROUND

Autonomous cortisol secretion was mentioned for the first time in 2016 in the European Guideline on the management of adrenal incidentalomas.

OBJECTIVES

Review of the state of knowledge on diagnosis, epidemiology, co-morbidities, mortality and treatment of autonomous cortisol secretion in comparison to non-hormone producing adenomas. Recommendation for clinical practice based on the current European guideline.

MATERIALS UND METHODS

Analysis of relevant clinical studies, discussion of basic literature and expert opinions.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Autonomous cortisol secretion is a term used to describe abnormal cortisol secretion diagnosed by a pathological 1‑mg dexamethasone suppression test in patients with adrenal incidentaloma, but without clinical manifestation of overt Cushing's syndrome. It is associated with increased mortality and morbidity, especially hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, dyslipidemia and obesity. Adrenalectomy, as the only specific therapy option, should be considered in an interdisciplinary tumour board.

Nonfunctional adrenal adenomas and impaired glucose metabolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Evidence on nonfunctioning adrenal incidentaloma's (NFAI) associated comorbidities and in particular, glucose disorders, is unclear in contrast to adrenal tumors with mild autonomous cortisol secretion. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the burden of impaired glucose metabolism including diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and fasting blood insulin (FBI) levels in patients with NFAI and 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (ODST) ≤ 1.8 μg/dl across published studies.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus databases for identifying studies published between 1956 and March 2021. Twenty-five studies met the selection criteria including prospective, retrospective, and case-control studies. Two reviewers independently extracted studies, participants' characteristics and outcome data in a total pooled sample of 1548 patients.

RESULTS

Patients with NFAI had twofold [(odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 2.03 (1.39-2.98)] increased odds to present T2DM as well as higher FBG [weighted mean difference (WMD) (95% CI): 3.85 (1.96-5.74)] and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) [WMD (95% CI): 0.68 (0.23-1.12)] with respect to controls. On the contrary, the WMD of FBI levels did not differ between the two groups. The incidence of T2DM in a subgroup analysis of patients with NFAI without glucose disorders at baseline was 6% [pooled incidence (95% CI): 0.06 (0.04-0.09)].

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with NFAI and 1-mg ODST ≤ 1.8 μg/dl presented higher odds of T2DM and higher levels of FBG and HOMA index than healthy controls.

Depression: another cortisol-related comorbidity in patients with adrenal incidentalomas and (possible) autonomous cortisol secretion

PURPOSE

Hypercortisolism is associated with a high prevalence of depression and impaired health-related quality of life (QoL). According to the available literature, studies examining the depression risk in patients with adrenal incidentalomas (AI), nonfunctioning and the ones with (possible) autonomous cortisol secretion ((P)ACS) are scarce. The aim of this observational, case-control study was to screen patients with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas (NAI) and the ones with (P)ACS for depression and to assess their QoL.

METHODS

The total studied group consisted of 92 subjects-26 with NAI, 34 with (P)ACS and 32 age-matched healthy controls (HC). To screen for depression, we used the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and to assess the QoL, we used the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36).

RESULTS

Patients with (P)ACS had significantly higher BDI-II scores and substantially lower QoL than patients with NAI or HC. Midnight cortisol level was the most significant predictor of BDI-II and SF-36 score. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that a midnight cortisol value of 86.95 nmol/l had a high sensitivity (82.8%) and high specificity (80%) for detection of mild depression in patients with (P)ACS.

CONCLUSION

Screening for depression and QoL assessment should become an integral part of clinical evaluation in patients with (P)ACS.

The association of glucocorticoid receptor polymorphism with metabolic outcomes in menopausal women with adrenal incidentalomas

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether BclI polymorphism in the glucocorticoid receptor gene influences hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation, body composition and metabolic parameters in women with adrenal incidentalomas (AIs).

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We analyzed 106 women with AIs. Insulin resistance was assessed using a homeostasis model while HPA activity was assessed using dexamethasone suppression tests (DST), basal ACTH, urinary free cortisol, and midnight serum cortisol level. Body composition was analyzed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. DNA was obtained from peripheral blood leucocytes and BclI polymorphism was detected using PCR, RFLP and DNA sequencing.

RESULTS

BclI carriers in comparison with those with wild-type BclI had less suppressed cortisol after DST-0.5 mg (126.4 ± 111.4 vs 80.9 ± 75.7 nmol/l, p = 0.026) and had a lower prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance and of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). BclI carriers had a higher percentage of leg fat mass (FM), lower left-sided limb muscle mass and a decline in total lean body mass. Duration of menopause remained a strong predictor of appendicular lean mass index (ALMI) (β=-0.125, p = 0.034). BclI polymorphism was significantly associated with sum of legs FM percentage (β=0.327, p = 0.048). T2DM was negatively associated with BclI polymorphism, after adjusting for age, truncal FM, ALMI, and sum of legs FM (OR=0.158, 95%CI 0.031-0.806, p = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

BclI polymorphism is associated with tissue-specific glucocorticoid sensitivity, relative glucocorticoid resistance of the HPA axis and peripheral adipose tissue, and glucocorticoid hypersensitivity at the muscle level. By modulating glucocorticoid and insulin sensitivity, BclI polymorphism appears to reduce the risk of T2DM in women with AIs.

Novel CYP11B-ligand [123/131I]IMAZA as promising theranostic tool for adrenocortical tumors: comprehensive preclinical characterization and first clinical experience

Purpose

Adrenal tumors represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Promising results have been obtained through targeting the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 for molecular imaging, and [^123/131I]iodometomidate ([^123/131I]IMTO) has even been successfully introduced as a theranostic agent. As this radiopharmaceutical shows rapid metabolic inactivation, we aimed at developing new improved tracers.

Methods

Several IMTO derivatives were newly designed by replacing the unstable methyl ester by different carboxylic esters or amides. The inhibition of aldosterone and cortisol synthesis was tested in different adrenocortical cell lines. The corresponding radiolabeled compounds were assessed regarding their stability, in vitro cell uptake, in vivo biodistribution in mice, and their binding specificity to cryosections of human adrenocortical and non-adrenocortical tissue. Furthermore, a first investigation was performed in patients with known metastatic adrenal cancer using both [¹²³I]IMTO and the most promising compound (R)-1-[1-(4-[¹²³I]iodophenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole-5-carboxylic acid azetidinylamide ([¹²³I]IMAZA) for scintigraphy. Subsequently, a first endoradiotherapy with [¹³¹I]IMAZA in one of these patients was performed.

Results

We identified three analogues to IMTO with high-affinity binding to the target enzymes and comparable or higher metabolic stability and very high and specific accumulation in adrenocortical cells in vitro and in vivo. Labeled IMAZA exhibited superior pharmacokinetic and imaging properties compared to IMTO in mice and 3 patients, too. An endoradiotherapy with [¹³¹I]IMAZA induced a 21-month progression-free interval in a patient with rapidly progressing ACC prior this therapy.

Conclusion

We developed the new radiopharmaceutical [^123/131I]IMAZA with superior properties compared to the reference compound IMTO and promising first experiences in humans.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00259-021-05477-y.

Radiology report language positively influences adrenal incidentaloma guideline adherence

BACKGROUND

Adrenal incidentalomas are common radiographic findings. Guidelines recommend biochemical and radiographic surveillance of adrenal incidentalomas. We investigated if patients were appropriately referred for outpatient evaluation.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review was performed to identify patients with adrenal masses on imaging between November 7, 2016 and November 7, 2017. Demographic information, medical history, and outpatient referral information was collected.

RESULTS

11,723 computed tomography (CT) scans of the chest and/or abdomen/pelvis were performed. 246 patients were noted to have adrenal incidentalomas and met inclusion criteria. The CT report recommended follow-up in 63/246 cases (25.6%). 38/246 (15.4%) patients were referred for evaluation. Age, adrenal nodule size, and type of evaluating provider did not affect referral. A radiology report recommending follow-up was associated with increased referral rate (OR 5.441, 95% CI: 2.491-11.887).

CONCLUSION

There was low outpatient referral for adrenal incidentalomas. Language in the radiology report significantly influenced referral rates and may be an important resource for improving guideline adherence.

Strategies to optimize management of incidental radiographic findings in the primary care setting: A mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Incidental adrenal masses (IAMs) are common. Primary care providers (PCPs) are frequently responsible for incidentaloma evaluations. We evaluated whether PCPs view this paradigm effective, barriers faced, and strategies to optimize care delivery.

METHODS

This is a sequential explanatory study, comprised of surveys followed by focus groups of PCPs. Because lung nodules are another type of common incidental finding, we compared PCP views on management of lung nodules to their views on IAMs.

RESULTS

For IAMs, 22.3% of PCPs "always refer" to specialists, but for lung nodules this was 11.5% (p = 0.026). For lung nodules, the most significant barrier was insufficient time/support to longitudinally follow results (69%), but for IAMs it was uncertainty about which tests to order (68%). Fear of litigation was equal (lung = 22.5%, IAMs = 21.3%). Consistent themes regarding the "ideal" system included specific recommendations in radiology reports; automation of orders for follow-up tests; longitudinal tracking tools; streamlined consultations; and decision guides embedded within the electronic health record.

CONCLUSIONS

Respondents are more comfortable with lung nodules than IAMs. Management of "incidentalomas" is within their scope of practice, but the current system can be optimized.

Cortisol level after dexamethasone suppression test in patients with non-functioning adrenal incidentaloma is positively associated with the duration of reactive hyperemia response on microvascular bed

PURPOSE

Data on endothelial derangements in patients with non-functioning adrenal incidentaloma (NFAI) are scarce.

METHODS

We investigated if NFAI patients present clinical, biochemical and endothelial alterations compared to individuals without an adrenal lesion and also the associations among these variables. Forty-two NFAI and 40 controls were evaluated. NFAI diagnosis and controls were defined according to the current guidelines and based on a normal adrenal imaging exam, respectively. Body composition was evaluated by dual emission X-ray absorptiometry. Endothelial reactivity was assessed by two methods: tonometry (Endo-PAT^®) and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI).

RESULTS

There were no differences between groups regarding age, gender, ethnicity, smoking status, and statin use. The frequency of metabolic syndrome according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria was 69% and 57.9%, respectively in NFAI and controls (p = 0.36), whereas the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk was 63.4% and 66.7% (p = 0.81). The clinical, laboratory, and anthropometric characteristics, as well as body composition, were similar between the groups. Additionally, any differences between groups were observed on endothelial reactivity tests. Nevertheless, we noted an association between cortisol levels after 1 mg-dexamethosone suppression test (1 mg-DST) and the duration of post-occlusive reactive hyperemia tested on microcirculation (r = 0.30; p = 0.03). NFAI patients require more antihypertensive drugs to achieve blood pressure control (p = 0.04). The number of antihypertensive drugs used to control blood pressure correlated with cortisol levels after 1 mg-DST (r = 0.29; p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Since both groups herein investigated had a high frequency of metabolic syndrome and ASCVD risk, it might explain similarities observed on endothelial reactivity. Nevertheless, prolonged reactive hyperemia response on microcirculation was correlated with cortisol levels under suppression.

Primary aldosteronism due to bilateral micronodular hyperplasia and concomitant subclinical Cushing’s syndrome: A case report

BACKGROUND

Adrenal incidentaloma (AI) has been frequently encountered in the clinical setting. It has been shown that primary aldosteronism (PA) or subclinical Cushing’s syndrome (SCS) are the representative causative diseases of AI. However, the coexistence of PA and SCS has been reportedly observed. Recently, we encountered a case of AI, in which PA and SCS coexisted, confirmed by histopathological examinations after a laparoscopic adrenalectomy. We believe that there were some clinical implications in the diagnosis of the present case.

CASE SUMMARY

A 58-year-old man presented with lower right abdominal pain with a blood pressure of 170/100 mmHg. A subsequent computed tomography scan revealed right ureterolithiasis, which was the cause of right abdominal pain, and right AI measuring 22 mm × 25 mm. After the disappearance of right abdominal pain, subsequent endocrinological examinations were performed. Aldosterone-related evaluations, including adrenal venous sampling, revealed the presence of bilateral PA. In addition, several cortisol-related evaluations showed the presence of SCS on the right adrenal adenoma. A laparoscopic right adrenalectomy was then performed. The histopathological examination of the resected right adrenal revealed the presence of a cortisol-producing adenoma, while CYP11B2 immunoreactivity was absent in this adenoma. However, in the adjacent non-neoplastic adrenal, multiple CYP11B2-positive adrenocortical micronodules were detected, showing the presence of aldosterone-producing adrenocortical micronodules.

CONCLUSION

Careful clinical and pathological examination should be performed when a patient harboring AI presents with concomitant SCS and PA.