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Endocrine Abstracts (2012) 29 P79

ICEECE2012 Poster Presentations Adrenal cortex (113 abstracts)

Malignant adrenal incidentalomas: clinical analysis of 2300 patients with adrenal incidentalomas registered at a single endocrinological center

A. Kasperlik-Zaluska 1 , A. Cichocki 2 , M. Otto 3 , J. Slowinska-Srzednicka 1 , E. Roslonowska 1 , W. Jeske 1 , O. Gluszak 1 , M. Glombica-Czajkowska 1 , A. Hajdukiewicz 1 & W. Zgliczynski 1


1Medical Center for Postgraduate Education, Warsaw, Poland; 2Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland; 3Warsaw Medical Univewrsity, Warsaw, Poland.


This study aimed at searching for malignancy in a group of 2300 patients with incidentally found adrenal tumours (1688 women and 612 men aged 11-87 years) registered at our Department of Endocrinology. The methods of investigation included clinical and imaging studies, hormonal assays and pathomorphological examinations in the patients treated by surgery. In 168 patients, aged 11 to 81 years, adrenocortical cancer was diagnosed ranging in diameter from 2.5 to 25.0 cm. In 7 patients bilateral carcinomas have been observed. 67% of the detected tumours were at III/IV ENS@T stage. All the patients were treated by surgery and in a significant number of them an additional nephrectomy, splenectomy and/or partial hepatectomy were necessary. Following surgery all the patients have been treated with mitotane.

Metastatic infiltrations of adrenals were found in 57 patients aged 35–79 years (out of 228 ones with malignant disease= 25%). The most frequently the tumours originated from renal, pulmonary or colorectal cancer. Additionally, in 14 other patients some malignant adrenal tumours were found, mainly metastasing pheochromocytomas and lymphomas. In bilateral adrenal tumours (a half of metastatic infiltrations and of lymphomas) Addison’s disease or pre-Addison’s disease has been observed.

Conclusions: Malignant tumours have been diagnosed in 10% of adrenal incidentalomas; adrenal cancer appeared to be about three times more frequent than metastatic laesions.

Supported by a 501-1-08-13/10 & 501-1-08-11/11 CMKP Grant.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This work was supported, however funding details unavailable.

Volume 29

15th International & 14th European Congress of Endocrinology

European Society of Endocrinology 

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