Adrenal hemorrhage and hemorrhagic masses; diagnostic workup and imaging findings.

Adrenal hemorrhage (AH) is a rare condition. It can be traumatic or non-traumatic. Most common causes are septicemia, coagulopathy or bleeding diathesis, and underlying neoplasms. Other reported less common causes of AH are COVID-19 and neonatal stress. Clinical diagnosis of AH is challenging due to its non-specific presentation and occurrence in the setting of acute medical illness. Therefore, most cases are diagnosed incidentally on imaging. Having high clinical suspicion in the proper clinical setting for AH is crucial to avoid life-threatening adrenal insufficiency that occurs in 16-50% of patients with bilateral AH. We discuss the clinical situations that predispose to AH, review the imaging features on different imaging modalities, highlight a variety of clinical cases, imaging features that should be concerning for an underlying neoplasm, and outline the potential role of interventional radiology in management of AH.

Functional imaging of adrenal cortex. / Estudios de imagen funcional de la corteza adrenal.

The rising number of high-resolution imaging scans has increased the adrenal lesions detection, which require a differential diagnosis. Currently, the most commonly used scans are CT and MRI, but these are sometimes not very specific. In these cases, nuclear medicine scans with 131I-norcolesterol, 11C-metomidate and 18F-fludeoxyglucose help to differentiate benign vs. malignant lesions, to lateralize the involvement in hypersecretion disease, as well as to guide the therapeutic strategy in both unilateral and bilateral lesions.

Adrenal disorders in pregnancy, labour and postpartum - an overview.

Adrenal disorders may manifest during pregnancy for the first time, or present from before pregnancy as either undiagnosed or diagnosed and treated. They may present as hormonal hypofunction or hyperfunction, or with mass effects or other non-endocrine effects. Adrenal disorders such as Cushing's syndrome, Addison's disease, pheochromocytoma, primary hyper-aldosteronism and adreno-cortical carcinoma are rare in pregnancy. Pregnancy presents special problems in the evaluation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis as these undergoe major changes during pregnancy. Diagnosis is challenging as symptoms associated with pregnancy are also seen in adrenal diseases. A timely diagnosis and treatment is critical as these disorders can cause maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality. A high index of suspicion must be maintained as they can go unrecognised and untreated. An early diagnosis and treatment often improves outcomes. The aim of this article is to review the patho-physiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis and management of various adrenal disorders during pregnancy.

Aberrant G-protein coupled hormone receptor in adrenal diseases.

The regulation of cortisol or aldosterone production when ACTH of pituitary origin or the renin-angiotensin systems are suppressed in primary adrenal Cushing's syndrome or in primary aldosteronism is exerted by diverse genetic and molecular mechanisms. In addition to recently identified mutations in various genes implicated in the cyclic AMP or ion channel pathways, steroidogenesis is not really autonomous as it is frequently regulated by the aberrant adrenocortical expression of diverse hormone receptors, particularly G-protein coupled hormone receptors (GPCR) which can substitute for the normal function of ACTH or angiotensin-II. In addition, paracrine or autocrine production of ligands for the aberrant GPCR such as ACTH or serotonin is found in some adrenal tumors or hyperplasias and participates in a complex regulatory loop causing steroid excess. Targeted therapies to block the aberrant ligands or their receptors could become useful in the future, particularly for patients with bilateral source of steroid excess.

[Vascular adrenal cyst causing difficult to control high blood pressure]. / Hipertensión arterial mal controlada secundaria a quiste vascular suprarrenal.

Hypertension is a prevalent disease in developed countries. Adrenal masses, and especially adrenal cysts, are a rare and usually asymptomatic finding, which can go unnoticed or be detected as incidental findings in imaging tests. These circumstances make the multidisciplinary approach mandatory. The case is presented on a 72 year-old woman with uncontrolled high blood pressure referred to the Urology Department due to the incidental finding of a right retroperitoneal mass. A functional and imaging study was performed, establishing a diagnosis of adrenal cyst causing hypertensive symptoms. A literature search was performed in order to assess diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. With the diagnosis of adrenal cyst causing uncontrolled high blood pressure, a right laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed. After surgery the patient has maintained blood pressure within the normal range. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary for the management of rare diseases. The surgical approach, if possible, should be laparoscopic.

Electrocardiographic changes in the most frequent endocrine disorders associated with cardiovascular diseases. Review of the literature.

Car- diovascular abnormalities associated with endocrine diseases are often frequent and due to complex relationships between endocrine glands (with internal secretion) and cardiovascular system (heart and vessels). Certain hormones secreted by the endocrine glands (particularly the thyroid and pituitary gland) excesses or deficiencies, are involved in morphogenesis, growth processes and activity regulation of cardiovascular system, most often in connection with the autonomic nervous system. There are also a lot of electrocardiographic changes caused by hormonal disorders that requires differential diagnosis and represents the source of erroneous diagnosis. Endocrine pathology occurred later than a heart disease, may worse heart function. Ignoring the cardiovascular events that may occur in the evolution of endo- crine diseases, may induce increased mortality due to cardiovascular complications.

Adrenal Hemorrhage in Neonates: Unusual Presentation.

Adrenal hemorrhage (AH) is a relatively uncommon condition in newborns. It may be asymptomatic or may present with flank abdominal mass, anemia, jaundice, or rarely as scrotal bruising or hematoma. We report two cases of AH in neonates; the first presented with scrotal hematoma and the second with adrenal mass associated with hypertension and oliguria, primarily secondary to coincidental renal vein thrombosis. Diagnosis was confirmed by abdominal ultrasound. Patients were managed conservatively with clinical observation and by following hemoglobin and bilirubin levels closely. Both infants were discharged without surgical intervention after several days in the hospital. Clinicians should consider AH when a newborn presents with scrotal bruising or hematoma, unexplained anemia, unexplained jaundice, or flank abdominal mass. Timely ultrasonographic evaluation of both adrenal glands and testes in neonates with scrotal hematoma may spare infants from unnecessary surgical intervention because scrotal hematoma often raises the suspicion of testicular torsion.

[Diagnosis and treatment of patients with secondary arterial hypertension of adrenal and renal genesis].

A multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with symptomatic arterial hypertension enabled us to identify 154 patients with adrenal tumors. These patients underwent adrenalectomy for following reasons: pheochromocytoma--73 patients, aldosteronoma-- 43 patients, corticosteroma--22 patients, incidentalomas--16 patients. After surgery, stable normalization of blood pressure (BP) occurred in 84.4% of cases. Requirement of antihypertensive therapy was preserved in 15.6% cases, but blood pressure did not reach the preoperative levels in any of the treated patients. Among 81 patients with renal hypertension, 67 patients underwent balloon angioplasty with stent implantation. Cause of narrowing of renal artery was atherosclerotic lesion in 48 (71.6%) patients, fibromuscular dysplasia--in 18 (26.8 %) patients, and Takayasu's disease--in 12 year-old girl. In the immediate postoperative period, normalization of blood pressure was occurred in all patients who underwent surgery for renovascular hypertension.

Adrenal diseases during pregnancy: pathophysiology, diagnosis and management strategies.

: Adrenal diseases--including disorders such as Cushing's syndrome, Addison's disease, pheochromocytoma, primary hyperaldosteronism and congenital adrenal hyperplasia--are relatively rare in pregnancy, but a timely diagnosis and proper treatment are critical because these disorders can cause maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Making the diagnosis of adrenal disorders in pregnancy is challenging as symptoms associated with pregnancy are also seen in adrenal diseases. In addition, pregnancy is marked by several endocrine changes, including activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The aim of this article was to review the pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis and management of various adrenal disorders during pregnancy.

Chronic kidney disease and hypothalamic-pituitary axis dysfunction: the chicken or the egg?

Hormonal derangements at the level of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis are often seen with the worsening of kidney function. This may not be surprising given the role of the kidney in synthesis, metabolism and elimination of many of these hormones. Traditionally, these derangements have been understood as a consequence of kidney failure. Conversely, recent evidence points towards the implication of such hormonal disorders in the genesis of CKD. In this review we present arguments supporting both the role of hypothalamic-pituitary axis dysfunction as a consequence of uremic complications and a culprit in disease incidence and progression. Focus is given to evidence regarding thyroidal, adrenal and gonadal axes.

The adrenal gland: common disease states and suspected new applications.

The adrenal gland, while small in size, provides a major punch to human metabolism. The interplay between the adrenal cortex hormones aldosterone and cortisol provides needed regulation to human metabolism. Aldosterone regulates the body sodium content affecting blood pressure thru fluid-volume regulation by the kidney. Cortisol, also from the adrenal cortex, contributes to regulation of glucose and protein metabolism. Diseases like addison's disease and Cushing's syndrome that affect the normal levels of these hormones can lead to serious pathologies that need to be detected thru clinical laboratory testing. The inner core of the adrenal gland, called the medulla, houses the catecholamine epinephrine, a fast acting neuropeptide hormone that can influence body action and energy levels quickly. The pheochromocytomas pathology of the adrenal medulla adversely affects the medulla hormones and needs to be recognized by clinical laboratory testing. The overview of the adrenal gland and its potential pathologies needs to be looked at anew in relation to post-traumatic stress disorder to find any linkage that may aid in the treatment and cure of our affected military soldiers. This interrelationship between cortisol and epinephrine in PTSD should be closely evaluated to determine if the suspected linkages are significant.

Adrenal disorders in pregnancy.

Adrenal disorders may manifest during pregnancy de novo, or before pregnancy undiagnosed or diagnosed and treated. Adrenal disorders may present as hormonal hypofunction or hyperfunction, or with mass effects or other nonendocrine effects. Pregnancy presents special problems in the evaluation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in addition to the usual considerations. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone axis undergoes major changes during pregnancy. Nevertheless, the common adrenal disorders are associated with morbidity during pregnancy and their management is more complicated. A high index of suspicion must be maintained for these disorders lest they go unrecognized and untreated.

Hipertensión arterial maligna e hiperaldosteronismo hiperreninémico: reporte de un caso / Malignant arterial hypertension and hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronism: a case report

Se presenta el caso de una mujer de 28 años de edad, hospitalizada por hipertensión arterial severa, edema pulmonar e hipokalemia. se encontró hiperaldosteronismo hiperreninémico e imagen de una lesión nodular en la glándula suprarrenal izquierda, la cual fue extirpada mediante cirugía laparoscópica. El estudio histológico demostró hiperplasia macronodular cortical y en el postoperatorio, hubo retorno progresivo de la hipertensión e hipokalemia

Screening for adrenal-endocrine hypertension: overview of accuracy and cost-effectiveness.

Formal studies have not been performed to assess the cost-effectiveness of screening strategies for endocrine causes of hypertension. However, an understanding of the diagnostic accuracy of available screening tests and the clinical settings where disease identification will lead to improved health outcomes form the basis for a cost-effective strategy. Primary aldosteronism screening should be selective and restricted to settings where knowledge of the diagnosis has the greatest chance of improving health outcomes. Pheochromocytoma is rare; however, because it is a potentially fatal disease, screening strategies should err on the side of not missing the diagnosis, especially in high-risk clinical settings.

[The laparoscopic adrenalectomy in children].

22 children with tumors or other surgical diseases of the adrenal glands were operated on laparoscopically. Children aged from 5 months to 17 years. Operation lengths varied from 45 to 190 minutes. There were no lethal outcomes, conversions and serious complications of the procedure. Authors consider the laparoscopic adrenalectomy to be the safe and widely appropriate method for the use in juvenile cathegory of patients.

Carney complex and other conditions associated with micronodular adrenal hyperplasias.

Carney complex (CNC) is a multiple neoplasia syndrome that is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner and is characterized by skin tumors and pigmented lesions, myxomas, schwannomas, and various endocrine tumors. Inactivating mutations of the PRKAR1A gene coding for the regulatory type I-α (RIα) subunit of protein kinase A (PKA) are responsible for the disease in most CNC patients. The overall penetrance of CNC among PRKAR1A mutation carriers is near 98%. Most PRKAR1A mutations result in premature stop codon generation and lead to nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. CNC is genetically and clinically heterogeneous, with specific mutations providing some genotype-phenotype correlation. Phosphodiesterase-11A (the PDE11A gene) and -8B (the PDE8B gene) mutations were found in patients with isolated adrenal hyperplasia and Cushing syndrome, as well in patients with PPNAD. Recent evidences demonstrated that dysregulation of cAMP/PKA pathway can modulate other signaling pathways and contributes to adrenocortical tumorigenesis.

Associations among systemic blood pressure, microalbuminuria and albuminuria in dogs affected with pituitary- and adrenal-dependent hyperadrenocorticism.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension and proteinuria are medical complications associated with the multisystemic effects of long-term hypercortisolism in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism (HAC). METHODS: This study investigated the relationships among adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-stimulation test results, systemic blood pressure, and microalbuminuria in clinically-healthy dogs (n = 100), in dogs affected with naturally occurring pituitary-dependent (PDH; n = 40), or adrenal-dependent hyperadrenocorticism (ADH; n = 30). RESULTS: Mean systemic blood pressure was similar between clinically healthy dogs and dogs with HAC (p = 0.803). However the incidence of hypertension was highest in dogs with ADH (p = 0.017), followed by dogs with PDH, with the lowest levels in clinically healthy dogs (p = 0.019). Presence of microalbuminuria and albuminuria in clinically healthy dogs and dogs affected with HAC was significantly different (p < 0.001); incidences of albuminuria followed the same pattern of hypertension; highest incidence in dogs with ADH, and lowest level in clinically healthy dogs; but microalbuminuria showed a different pattern: clinically healthy dogs had highest incidences and dogs with ADH had lowest incidence. The presence of albuminuria was not associated with blood pressure values, regardless of whether dogs were clinically healthy or affected with ADH or PDH (p = 0.306). CONCLUSIONS: Higher incidence of hypertension and albuminuria, not microalbuminuria was seen in dogs affected with HAC compared to clinically healthy dogs; incidence of hypertension and albuminuria was significantly higher in dogs affected with ADH compared to PDH. However, presence of albuminuria was not correlated with systemic blood pressure.

Giant adrenal cyst: case study.

One of the rarest situations regarding an adrenal incidentaloma is an adrenal cyst. We present the case of a 61-year-old male patient diagnosed with peritonitis. During surgery, a right adrenal tumor of 2 cm is discovered. The patient was referred to endocrinology. 6 months later the diameter of the tumor is 7 times bigger than the initial stage. It has no secretory phenotype, except for the small increase of serum aldosterone and the 24-h 17-ketosteroids. Open right adrenalectomy is performed and a cyst of 15 cm is removed. The evolution after surgery is good. The pathological exam reveals an adrenal cyst with calcifications and osteoid metaplasia. The immunohistochemistry showed a positive reaction for CD34 and ACT in the vessels and VIM in the stroma. The adrenal cysts are not frequent and represent a challenge regarding the preoperative diagnostic and surgical procedure of resection. The pathological exam highlights the major aspects.