Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
1999-2-25
pubmed:abstractText
The natural course of adrenal incidentalomas and the risk that such lesions evolve toward hormonal hypersecretion or malignancy are still under evaluation. Of 246 consecutive patients with adrenal incidentaloma studied at our institution in the last 15 yr, 91 underwent surgery. Of the remaining patients, a group of 75 (52 females and 23 males; median age, 56 yr; range, 19-77 yr) with incidentally discovered asymptomatic adrenal masses (60 unilateral and 15 bilateral; median diameter, 2.5 cm; range, 1.0-5.6) was enrolled in an endocrine and morphological follow-up of at least 2 yr after diagnosis (median, 4 yr; range, 2-10). During follow-up, no patients developed malignancy; 9 showed mass enlargement, with appearance of a new mass in the contralateral gland in 2; 3 developed adrenal hyperfunction (overt Cushing's syndrome in 2, nonclinical hypercortisolism in 1); and 3 showed adrenal mass enlargement associated with adrenal hyperfunction (nonclinical hypercortisolism in 2, pheochromocytoma in 1). The estimated cumulative risks to develop mass enlargement and hyperfunction were 8% and 4%, respectively, after 1 yr, 18% and 9.5% after 5 yr, and 22.8% and 9.5% after 10 yr. Nine risk factors for adrenal mass enlargement or hyperfunction were arbitrarily selected and evaluated: sex, age, presence of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, abnormal endocrine tests, mass size, mass location, and scintigraphic uptake pattern. Three of them attained statistical significance: mass size of 3 cm or more at diagnosis and exclusive radiocholesterol uptake by the mass at scintigraphy had relevance for the occurrence of adrenal hyperfunction, whereas the presence of endocrine test abnormalities at diagnosis had predictive value for mass enlargement. It is concluded that subtle hormonal abnormalities are risk factors for mass size increase, which is not a sign of malignant transformation. Both mass size of 3 cm or more at diagnosis and exclusive radiocholesterol uptake, indicating higher risks of hyperfunction, should be considered to plan a more thorough endocrine follow-up.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Feb
pubmed:issn
0021-972X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
84
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
520-6
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Adolescent, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Adrenal Glands, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Adrenocortical Hyperfunction, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Adult, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Aged, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Dexamethasone, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Female, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Follow-Up Studies, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Humans, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Hydrocortisone, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Magnetic Resonance Imaging, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Male, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Middle Aged, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Risk Factors, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Survival Analysis, pubmed-meshheading:10022410-Tomography, X-Ray Computed
pubmed:year
1999
pubmed:articleTitle
Risk factors and long-term follow-up of adrenal incidentalomas.
pubmed:affiliation
Division of Endocrinology, University of Padova, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't