Journal List > J Korean Endocr Soc > v.22(4) > 1003372

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Jeong, Kim, Kim, Kim, Shin, Park, Park, Jang, Kim, Cho, and Lee: Clinical Characteristics for 132 Patients with Adrenal Incidentaloma
Original Article
Journal of Korean Endocrine Society

Journal of Korean Endocrine Society 2007; 22(4): 260-265.

Published online: 20 August 2007

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3803/jkes.2007.22.4.260

Clinical Characteristics for 132 Patients with Adrenal Incidentaloma

Hyun Seung Jeong, Hee Joung Kim, Hae Sung Kim, Sang Wan Kim, Chan Soo Shin, Do Joon Park, Kyung Soo Park, Hak Cheol Jang, Seong Yeon Kim, Bo Youn Cho, Hong Kyu Lee

Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Korea.

Received 2 March 2007       Accepted 9 May 2007

Copyright © 2007 Korean Endocrine Society

Abstract

Background

Recently, the detection rate for adrenal incidentaloma in Korea has been on the increase. We describe here the clinical characteristics of these tumors and describe appropriate guidelines of diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

We analyzed age, sex, location, size, function, and the pathological findings for 132 patients with an adrenal mass by CT, USG, and MRI undertaken for health examinations or non-adrenal disease from January 2000 to March 2005.

Results

Adrenal masses were most commonly found in patients in their sixties (31%). 62.1% of the patients were men and 37.9% were women. For the location of the masses, 53% were found in the left gland, 43.2% were found in the right gland and 3.8% were found in both glands. Of all of the masses analyzed, 66% were 1 cm to 4 cm in size, and an adenoma-like appearance was the most common finding (69.7%) seen in images. All of the pheochromocytomas and carcinomas were above 4 cm in size. Patients with a functional mass were seen in 18 cases (13.6%) and pheochromocytomas were seen in 12 cases (67%). Three patients were found with cancer (2.3%), two cases (1.5%) of a primary carcinoma and one case of a metastasis (0.8%).

Conclusion

The frequency and characteristics of benign nonfunctional, functional and malignant masses that were found in our hospital were similar to those presented in studies conducted outside of Korea. Therefore, it may be possible to apply previously established guidelines to domestic patients.

Keywords: Adrenal incidentaloma, Clinincal Characterisitics

Figures and Tables

Fig. 1
Distribution of functional mass. *HT, Hypertension.
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Table 1
Distribution of clinical diagnosis by tumor size
jkes-22-260-i001

*Others; nodular hyperplasia, ganglioneuroma or necrotic nodule.

Table 2
Hounsfield units (HU) according to mass on the CT finding
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Table 3
Characteristics of 51 adrenal incidentaloma with a histopathologic diagnosis proven by surgery
jkes-22-260-i003

*Metastatic tumor; GB cancer.

†Others; nodular hyperplasia, ganglioneuroma, necrotic nodule.

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