Endocrine adrenal tumors are uncommon but clinically significant because they can be managed successfully by surgical therapy. During pregnancy, adrenal tumors can be a cause of death for both mother and baby, unless they diagnoses antenatally
and
managed properly.
To investigate clinical characteristics of endocrine adrenal tumors, we analyzed 26 cases of adrenal tumor diagnosed and managed in Chung Ang Gil Hospital including cases associated with pregnancy and also a rare case of paraganglioma in liver.
1)
There
were 7 cases of Cushing's syndrome among which two cases were due to Cushing's disease and five cases were due to adrenal adenoma. Six cases were managed successfully by appropriate surgery. Another one case was associated with pregnancy but the
patient
expired due to sudden development of pulmonary edema and hypotension during preoperative preparation.
2) Among 9 cases of primary aldosteronism, 8 cases were aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and 1 case was idiopathic hyperaldosteronism(IHA). In differential diagnosis between APA and IHA, diagnostic accuracy of postural study and adrenal CT was
86%,
78% respectively. In each one case of APA and IHA, adrenal venous aldosterone sampling was used for the differential diagnosis. Six cases of APA were Managed by appropriate surgery. One patient with APA who refuses surgery and one patient with
IHA
were
placed on spironolactone with good response.
3) Among 10 cases of pheochromocytoma, seven cases were from adrenal gland and three cases were paragangliomas including one case originating from liver and two cases from abdominal ganglia. One patient with pheochromocytoma was diagnosed in lst
trimester of pregnancy and she was successfully treated by surgery.
We observed 26 cases of endocrine adrenal tumors which were successfully managed except one case. We think that it is important to pay attention to adrenal tumor for early diagnosis particulary when associated with pregnancy. Paraganglioma in
liver,
although very rare, should be included in the differential diagnosis of space occupying lesion in liver. (J Kor Soc Endocrinol 9: 228-238, 1994)
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