ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare condition associated with poor prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of 7 patients with ACC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment, and survival of 7 patients with pathologically confirmed ACC treated at our institution between January 2002 and December 2012 were retrospectively examined. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 4 male and 3 female patients (median age at diagnosis, 63 years [range, 36-71 years]). The median tumor size was 7.0 cm (range, 4.0-13.0 cm), and the median follow-up duration was 22 months (range, 9-107 months). One patient had stage I ACC, 4 had stage III, and 2 showed metastasis. The patient with stage I disease underwent laparoscopic adrenorectomy and those with stage III disease underwent adrenorectomy with the excision of adjacent organs. Four of these 5 patients are alive without recurrence at a median of 55 months (range, 22-107 months) after surgery. Of the 2 patients with metastases, 1 received combined chemotherapy with etoposide, adriamycin, and cisplatin plus mitotane without surgical resection but died 19 months later, and the other, with a solitary lung metastasis, underwent adrenorectomy and metastatectomy followed by adjuvant treatment with mitotane and is alive without recurrence at 9 months after treatment. The 3-year cause-specific survival rate was 56%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with advanced-stage tumors showed long-term survival with complete tumor resection at diagnosis; hence, this seems to be most beneficial treatment option for patients with ACC.
Subject(s)
Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms/pathology , Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms/mortality , Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms/therapy , Adrenalectomy , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Metastasis , PrognosisABSTRACT
A 26-year-old man was introduced to our hospital with a complaint of macrohematuria. Endoscopic examination showed a small tumor in the anterior urethra. Microscopic examination of a biopsy specimen taken under lumbar anesthesia showed amyloid deposition in the urethral submucosa. On Congo red staining, amyloid was visualized as orange material, showing characteristic birefringence under polarized light. Amyloidosis of the urethra was diagnosed. Because the patient refused to undergo duodenal or rectal biopsy, the possibility of systemic amyloidosis could not be completely excluded. No recurrence has been noted since the endoscopic examination, and no further symptoms have been reported.
