Adrenal Referral Pattern: Management of Patients With an Adrenal Incidentaloma.

INTRODUCTION: Adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) are found in 3%-4% of abdominal computed tomography scans. Timely evaluation of their functional status and malignant potential is necessary to guide nonoperative surveillance or surgery. This study aims to evaluate the adherence of referring service patterns to the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists guidelines for the biochemical workup of AIs at a tertiary surgical clinic. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 125 patients evaluated for AIs at the endocrine surgery clinic between 2017 and 2022. Information on patient demographics, referral source, and reasons for referral was collected. The appropriateness of the biochemical workup for AIs by referring physicians was assessed. Statistical analyses included chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. RESULTS: Referrals came from endocrinologists (44.8%), other subspecialists (31.2%), and primary care physicians (PCPs) (19.2%). Among 125 patients, diagnoses included benign adrenal masses (52.8%), aldosteronomas (10.4%), cortisol-secreting tumors (15.2%), pheochromocytomas (12.8%), and metastatic masses (4.0%). Endocrinologists were more likely to conduct a complete biochemical workup compared to other subspecialties and PCPs (P < 0.001). Eighty-three (66.4%) patients underwent adrenalectomy, with those referred by endocrinologists more likely to undergo surgery than those referred by other subspecialties and PCPs (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the time from the initial clinic visit to surgery by referral source (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Over half of AIs referrals to the endocrine surgery clinic came from subspecialists and PCPs rather than endocrinologists. Familiarizing all referring physicians with American Association of Endocrine Surgeons/Association of Clinical Endocrinologists guidelines may reduce undiagnosed functional AI cases and facilitate timely surgical management.

Warthin's Tumour as a Parotid Gland Incidentaloma Identified by PET-CT Scan in a Large Series of Cases.

Occasionally in imaging scans there are findings unrelated to the pathology for which the scan was indicated, findings that are called incidentalomas. Warthin tumors have a high glucose avidity, being one of the common incidentalomas in PET-CT scans. The aim of the present study is to analyze the frequency of occurrence of Warthin's tumor as an incidental finding in a large series of patients undergoing 18F-FDG PET-CT. Retrospective analysis of 18F-FDG PET-CT scans performed in our center during the period 2010-2021. Parotid hypermetabolic lesions were identified, as well as their SUVmax, size, smoking habit, BMI (body mass index), and otorhinolaryngology follow-up. 31,423 PET-CT-18FDG studies corresponding to 12,806 patients were analyzed. The frequency of incidentalomas at the parotid level with a diagnosis compatible with Warthin's tumor was 0.87% (n = 111). Eighty percent of the patients with incidentalomas accordant to Warthin's tumor had a history of tobacco use. The highest percentage of incidentalomas compatible with a Warthin tumor was found in patients in whom the indication for PET-CT was the study of a lung carcinoma (1.44%). Only 37% of patients with a PET-CT lesion compatible with a Warthin's tumor were referred for evaluation by the Otorhinolaryngology service. The incidence of Warthin's tumor in 18-FDG PET-CT scans in our center was 0.87%.

Development and validation of a model predicting adrenal lipid-poor adenoma based on the minimum attenuation value from non-contrast CT: a dual-center retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The early differentiation of adrenal lipid-poor adenomas from non-adenomas is a crucial step in reducing excessive examinations and treatments. This study seeks to construct an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) predictive model utilizing the minimum attenuation values (minAVs) from non-contrast CT (NCCT) scans to identify lipid-poor adenomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis encompassed clinical data, minAVs, CT histogram (CTh), mean attenuation values (meanAVs), and lesion diameter from patients with pathologically or clinically confirmed adrenal lipid-poor adenomas across two medical institutions, juxtaposed with non-adenomas. Variable selection transpired in Institution A (training set), with XGBoost models established based on minAVs and CTh separately. Institution B (validation set) corroborated the diagnostic efficacy of the two models. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, calibration curves, and Brier scores assessed the diagnostic performance and calibration of the models, with the Delong test gauging differences in the area under the curve (AUC) between models. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values elucidated and visualized the models. RESULTS: The training set comprised 136 adrenal lipid-poor adenomas and 126 non-adenomas, while the validation set included 46 and 40 instances, respectively. In the training set, there were substantial inter-group differences in minAVs, CTh, meanAVs, diameter, and body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.05 for all). The AUC for the minAV and CTh models were 0.912 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.866-0.957) and 0.916 (95% CI: 0.873-0.958), respectively. Both models exhibited good calibration, with Brier scores of 0.141 and 0.136. In the validation set, the AUCs were 0.871 (95% CI: 0.792-0.951) and 0.878 (95% CI: 0.794-0.962), with Brier scores of 0.156 and 0.165, respectively. The Delong test revealed no statistically significant differences in AUC between the models (p > 0.05 for both). SHAP value analysis for the minAV model suggested that minAVs had the highest absolute weight (AW) and negative contribution. CONCLUSION: The XGBoost predictive model based on minAVs demonstrates effective discrimination between adrenal lipid-poor adenomas and non-adenomas. The minAV variable is easily obtainable, and its diagnostic performance is comparable to that of the CTh model. This provides a basis for patient diagnosis and treatment plan selection.

Evaluating the efficacy of surgical and conservative approaches in mild autonomous cortisol secretion: a meta-analysis.

Introduction: The management of Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion (MACS) remains a topic of debate among clinicians, with differing opinions on the effectiveness of surgical intervention compared to conservative treatment methods. This meta-analysis provides a comprehensive assessment of available literature to determine the most effective approach for treating this condition. Methods: On December 1, 2023, an exhaustive literature search of English databases Embase, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, as well as the Chinese databases China HowNet, Wanfang Database, SinoMed Database, and Weipu Database using the keywords "Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion", "Subclinical Cushing's Syndrome", "Subclinical Hypercortisolism", "Mild Cortisol Autonomous Secretion", "Adrenal Incidentaloma", "Surgical Treatment" and "Adrenalectomy". The data were statistically analyzed using STATA version 15.0. Results: In this comprehensive analysis involving 629 patients with MACS, the therapeutic efficacy of adrenalectomy was evident. The meta-analysis results indicate that compared to conservative treatment, surgical intervention more effectively improves obesity indicators in patients: waist circumference (SMD=-0.62, 95% CI: -1.06 to -0.18), BMI (SMD=-0.41, 95% CI: -0.62 to -0.20), enhances glycemic control: fasting blood glucose (SMD=-0.47, 95% CI: -0.68 to -0.26), glycated hemoglobin (SMD=-0.66, 95% CI: -0.95 to -0.38), improves lipid metabolism: triglycerides (SMD=-0.45, 95% CI: -0.73 to -0.16), lowers blood pressure: systolic blood pressure (SMD=-1.04, 95% CI: -1.25 to -0.83), diastolic blood pressure (SMD=-0.89, 95% CI: -1.12 to -0.65), and ameliorates hormonal metabolic disorder: 24h urinary free cortisol (SMD=-1.10, 95% CI: -1.33 to -0.87), ACTH (SMD=2.30, 95% CI: 1.63 to 2.97). All these differences are statistically significant. Conclusion: This meta-analysis shows that, compared to conservative treatment, surgical treatment is more effective in improving obesity indicators, glycemic control, lipid metabolism, reducing blood pressure, and ameliorating hormonal metabolic disorders in patients with MACS. These statistically significant results highlight the importance of considering surgical intervention in the management of patients with MACS. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD42023492527.

Pheochromocytoma-induced diffuse alveolar hemorrhage after cholecystectomy: A case report and literature review.

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) can be caused by various conditions, categorized as autoimmune and non-autoimmune. Immunofactor-mediated vasculitis, such as Wegener granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, Goodpasture syndrome, connective tissue disorders, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, are common autoimmune causes. Non-autoimmune factors include infectious or toxic exposures and neoplastic conditions. The diagnosis of DAH, resulting from excessive catecholamine release from an adrenal pheochromocytoma or extra-adrenal paraganglioma, can present diagnostic challenges and necessitate prompt treatment. In this report, we present a case of pheochromocytoma that manifested as an adrenal incidentaloma (diagnosed during the management of sudden-onset DAH after cholecystectomy). Case report: A 39-year-old female patient with adrenal incidentaloma developed DAH following a cholecystectomy procedure, presenting with sudden-onset hemoptysis and dyspnea. Administration of glucocorticoids, known to precipitate pheochromocytoma crisis (PCC), was required before the cause was determined. Intubation and mechanical ventilation were necessary due to persistent hypoxemic respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The patient in this case experienced two epidoses of PCC while she was on mechanical ventilation. Subsequent work-up revealed a 26 × 25 mm left adrenal adenoma with hormonal confirmation of catecholamine hypersecretion. A laparoscopic adrenalectomy was done eight months later to excise the left adrenal gland. Subsequent examination of the tissue revealed pheochromocytoma, thereby validating the initial diagnosis. Conclusion: Adrenal incidentalomas may be pheochromocytomas (adrenal incidentalomas can manifest as pheochromocytomas), even without adrenergic symptoms. It is recommended that adrenal incidentalomas undergo evaluation for pheochromocytoma before undergoing invasive surgery or receiving corticosteroid treatment. When considering potential causes of DAH without further elucidation, including a pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma (PPGLs) in the differential diagnosis is important.

Clinical, radiological, and surgical outcomes of 431 patients with adrenal incidentalomas: retrospective study of a 10-year single-center experience.

Background/aim: The incidence of adrenal tumors is increasing due to the widespread utilization of radiographic imaging techniques. Factors such as tumor size, radiological characteristics, and functionality of adrenal adenomas play crucial roles in diagnosis and subsequent management. In this retrospective study, we investigated the clinical, radiological, and surgical features of patients with adrenal incidentalomas (AIs) and evaluated their follow-up results. Materials and methods: We analyzed data from 431 patients diagnosed with AIs (130 males, 301 females) who underwent adrenal hormone evaluation at our center. We compared nonfunctioning and functioning AIs in terms of radiological features. We also compared baseline and follow-up characteristics in nonfunctioning AIs. Results: The mean age of the patients was 55.4 ± 11.5 years, with a mean tumor size of 25.9 ± 14.3 mm. Mean follow-up duration was 3.17 ± 2.07 years. Adenoma localization revealed 165 (38.3%) right-sided, 185 (42.9%) left-sided, and 81 (18.8%) bilateral cases. Most patients (76.6%) had nonfunctioning AIs. During follow-up, nonfunctioning AIs exhibited increased fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR values (p = 0.002, <0.001 and 0.004, respectively). Among the functioning AIs cases (23.4%), autonomous cortisol secretion, Cushing's syndrome, pheochromocytoma, and primary aldosteronism were observed in 10.4%, 5.1%, 3.9%, and 3.9% of cases, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis determined an adrenal adenoma size of 26.5 mm as the optimal cut-off for distinguishing between functioning and nonfunctioning AIs, with a sensitivity and specificity of 61.4% and 70.0%, respectively. Conclusion: Although the majority of AIs are nonfunctioning, the prevalence of functioning adrenal adenomas is not rare. Our findings suggest that adenoma size emerges as a valuable predictor for early detection of functioning adenomas. In addition, smaller masses appear to carry a lower risk of malignancy.

Clinical and biochemical data for the diagnosis of endogenous hypercortisolism: the "Cushingomic" approach.

CONTEXT: The clinical presentation of Cushing's syndrome (CS) overlaps with common conditions. Recommended screening tests are serum cortisol after 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST), urinary free cortisol (UFC), and late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC). METHODS: We analyzed the diagnostic accuracy of screening tests in 615 patients without CS (263 suspected CS, 319 adrenal and 33 pituitary incidentaloma) and 40 with CS. Principal component analysis, K-means clustering, and neural network were used to compute an integrated analysis among tests, comorbidities, and signs/symptoms of hypercortisolism. RESULTS: The diagnostic accuracy of screening tests for CS was high, DST and UFC were slightly superior to LNSC. The threshold of DST should be adapted to the population considered, especially in adrenal incidentaloma with mild autonomous cortisol secretion: the cutoff to differentiate CS should be increased to 196 nmol/L. Diabetes, hypertension, and obesity were more common in patients without CS: the direction of their vectors was not aligned and their correlation with screening tests was poor. Clustering allowed us to differentiate those patients without CS in cluster one (aged osteoporotic patients with impaired screening tests), cluster two (hypertensive and metabolic phenotype), and cluster three (young subjects with a low likelihood of overt CS). A neural network model that combined screening tests and clinical presentation was able to predict the CS diagnosis in the validation cohort with 99% precision and 86% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the high diagnostic accuracy of screening tests to detect CS, cortisol-related comorbidities or adrenal incidentaloma should be considered when interpreting a positive test.

Percutaneous Aspiration and Sclerotherapy as Primary Management for a Symptomatic Benign Adrenal Cyst.

Adrenal cysts are a rare benign adrenal pathology. Although the majority of adrenal cysts are asymptomatic, large cysts may present with debilitating symptoms of mass effect. Surgical adrenalectomy or cyst fenestration has been the primary mode of management for such symptomatic cysts, but these interventions can be associated with excessive morbidity, particularly when considered in the context of benign disease. Here, we present a case of a 34-year-old female with a longstanding, growing, benign left adrenal cyst associated with nonspecific abdominal symptoms. After multidisciplinary discussion, the patient was managed with primary ultrasound/fluoroscopic guided percutaneous sclerotherapy of her adrenal cyst. This technique achieved complete cyst resolution that was durable on 7-month follow-up and was associated with significant improvement of the patient's symptoms. This case illustrates the potential for primary percutaneous sclerotherapy for primary management of benign adrenal cysts.

A Case of Pheochromocytoma Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Pheochromocytoma is a rare endocrine tumor originating from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, which leads to the overproduction of catecholamines. Most symptoms, ranging from simple headaches to life-threatening cardiac arrests, are due to excess catecholamines. Usually, patients present with persistent or paroxysmal hypertension, headaches, sweating, and palpitations. Here, we describe a case that initially presented as an acute coronary syndrome and was treated accordingly. However, she had a history of nocturnal awakenings and panic attacks, which she had ignored for a month. On further evaluation, it turned out to be pheochromocytoma. This case report will surely help physicians better diagnose and treat such cases.

Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), also known as neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), are rare tumors derived from cells with characteristics of both nerve and endocrine cells. The clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of NENs vary significantly depending on the type, location, whether the neoplasm is hormonally functional, how aggressive it is, and whether it has metastasized to other parts of the body. This article provides an overview of specific types of NETs, clinical presentations and related syndromes, diagnosis, and approach to management of common NENs.

Diabetes Mellitus in Non-Functioning Adrenal Incidentalomas: Analysis of the Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion (MACS) Impact on Glucose Profile.

Non-functioning adrenal incidentalomas (NFAIs) have been placed in relationship with a higher risk of glucose profile anomalies, while the full-blown typical picture of Cushing's syndrome (CS) and associated secondary (glucocorticoid-induced) diabetes mellitus is not explicitly confirmed in this instance. Our objective was to highlight the most recent data concerning the glucose profile, particularly, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in NFAIs with/without mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS). This was a comprehensive review of the literature; the search was conducted according to various combinations of key terms. We included English-published, original studies across a 5-year window of publication time (from January 2020 until 1 April 2024) on PubMed. We excluded case reports, reviews, studies on T1DM or secondary diabetes, and experimental data. We identified 37 studies of various designs (14 retrospective studies as well 13 cross-sectional, 4 cohorts, 3 prospective, and 2 case-control studies) that analysed 17,391 individuals, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.47 (aged between 14 and 96 years). T2DM prevalence in MACS (affecting 10 to 30% of NFAIs) ranged from 12% to 44%. The highest T2DM prevalence in NFAI was 45.2% in one study. MACS versus (non-MACS) NFAIs (n = 16) showed an increased risk of T2DM and even of prediabetes or higher fasting plasma glucose or HbA1c (no unanimous results). T2DM prevalence was analysed in NFAI (N = 1243, female-to-male ratio of 1.11, mean age of 60.42) versus (non-tumour) controls (N = 1548, female-to-male ratio of 0.91, average age of 60.22) amid four studies, and two of them were confirmatory with respect to a higher rate in NFAIs. Four studies included a sub-group of CS compared to NFAI/MACS, and two of them did not confirm an increased rate of glucose profile anomalies in CS versus NFAIs/ACS. The longest period of follow-up with concern to the glycaemic profile was 10.5 years, and one cohort showed a significant increase in the T2DM rate at 17.9% compared to the baseline value of 0.03%. Additionally, inconsistent data from six studies enrolling 1039 individuals that underwent adrenalectomy (N = 674) and conservative management (N = 365) pinpointed the impact of the surgery in NFAIs. The regulation of the glucose metabolism after adrenalectomy versus baseline versus conservative management (n = 3) was improved. To our knowledge, this comprehensive review included one of the largest recent analyses in the field of glucose profile amid the confirmation of MACS/NFAI. In light of the rising incidence of NFAI/AIs due to easier access to imagery scans and endocrine evaluation across the spectrum of modern medicine, it is critical to assess if these patients have an increased frequency of cardio-metabolic disorders that worsen their overall comorbidity and mortality profile, including via the confirmation of T2DM.

Increased cardiometabolic risk and prevalence of ascending aorta dilation in patients with nonfunctioning adrenal incidentaloma: a retrospective propensity score-matched study.

The cardiometabolic implications of Non-Functioning Adrenal Incidentaloma (NFAI) is still matter of debate. This study takes a novel approach to analyze this association, accounting for the influence of various confounding factors. We present the findings of a retrospective, cross-sectional, and case-control study. Data from all NFAI patients in primary prevention, referred to the University of Turin between 2000 and 2023, were collected and compared with subjects without adrenal disease, using propensity score matching analysis. A total of 1997 patients were included (906 patients with NFAI; 1091 controls). Adrenal tumor group was associated with high levels of cardiovascular risk scores in both univariate and multiple linear regression analyses (Progetto CUORE: EC 11.00, 95% CI 2.72-44.46, p = 0.001; SCORE: EC 1.97, 95% CI 1.01-3.81, p = 0.046). Regarding cardiometabolic complications, multivariable logistic regression revealed an independent association between NFAI and ascending aorta dilation (OR 4.64, 95% CI 2.24-9.63, p = 0.000), after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, metabolic syndrome, number of antihypertensive drugs, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and normetanephrine levels. Propensity score matching analysis (1:1 matching ratio), based on the same logistic regression model, confirmed the association of NFAI with aortic dilation (ß = 0.083, 95% CI 0.008-0.157, p = 0.030). No significant associations were found with metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, microalbuminuria, atrial fibrillation, or hypertensive heart disease. This study suggests that patients with NFAI face increased cardiometabolic risk and high prevalence of ascending aorta dilation. Routine evaluation of NFAI patients should include thorough cardiovascular assessment and consideration of treatments aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk.

Transformation of a Benign Adrenocortical Adenoma to a Metastatic Adrenocortical Carcinoma Is Rare But It Happens.

The transformation of an adrenocortical adenoma (ACA) to an adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is extremely rare. Current guidelines suggest against further imaging studies and follow-up in patients with nonfunctional adrenal incidentalomas (NFAIs) with benign imaging characteristics. Herein, we present a 64-year-old male patient diagnosed initially with a NFAI of 3 cm in size with imaging characteristics consistent with an ACA. However, 13 years after initial diagnosis, this apparent ACA developed into a high-grade cortisol and androgen-secreting ACC with synchronous metastases. The literature review revealed a further 9 case reports of adrenal incidentalomas initially characterized as ACA that subsequently developed into ACC within a period ranging from 1 to 10 years. The pathogenesis of transformation of an initially denoted ACA to ACC is not fully delineated, although the existing literature focuses on the preexisting or changing genetic background of these lesions, highlighting the need to develop robust prognostic markers to identify patients at risk and individualize the follow-up of these unique cases.

Adrenal cyst presenting with clinical features of a pheochromocytoma.

Benign adrenal cysts are relatively uncommon variants of all adrenal incidentalomas. When identified, most benign adrenal cysts are asymptomatic, which differentiates them from other functional adrenal lesions. There are various types of adrenal cysts, although the most common being an endothelial cyst. Ultimately, evaluation and management approaches are aimed at ruling out a functional adrenal mass and management of symptoms if present. We present a unique presentation of an otherwise healthy male with a large incidental adrenal cyst, later identified as a benign endothelial cyst, who presented with classic symptoms of catecholamine excess. The patient had a negative hormonal evaluation, and his episodic symptoms were resolved with surgical removal of the adrenal mass. This case report and brief review provides valuable insight into the evaluation and management of a unique clinical scenario, where a benign cystic mass led to compression-related symptoms of catecholamine excess that were resolved after removal of the nonfunctional, cystic, mass.

Follow-up of non-palpable testicular incidentalomas under 1 cm: does growth rate differentiate malignant and non-malignant lesions?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether small, incidentally detected testicular lesions can be safely followed up, by assessing growth rate and volume threshold for benign vs. malignant lesions. METHODS: This retrospective observational study includes a consecutive series of 130 testicular incidentalomas < 1 cm and with negative tumour markers identified from October 2001 to November 2022, which were initially followed up with ultrasound. A total of 39 cases proceeded to surgery during the study period, either due to lesion growth (n = 28) or patient preference/recommendation by the referring urologist (n = 11). For the lesions that were growing, specific growth rate (SGR) and doubling time (DT) were calculated assuming an exponential growth pattern. In addition, the velocity of increase of the average diameter (∆Dav) and of the maximum diameter (∆Dmax) were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 130 nodules that were initially followed up, six disappeared, eight were reduced in size, eighty-eight were stable, and twenty-eight increased in size. For operated nodules all 18 malignant tumours, 8/9 benign tumours, and 2/12 surgically proved non-neoplastic lesions were growing. The best cut-off values of the growth indicators to differentiate between malignant and non-malignant histology were 3.47 × 10-3%volume/day, ≤ 179 days, > 10 × 10-3 mm/day, and > 5 × 10-3 mm/day for SGR, DT, ∆Dmax, ∆Dav, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Malignant and non-malignant small incidentalomas can be effectively differentiated based on growing parameters, even though overlap exists. An increase of the maximum diameter of about 1 mm and 2 mm in three months and in six months, respectively, suggests malignancy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Growing parameters allow an educated assessment of benign and malignant small testicular incidentalomas. Non-aggressive management is justified and safe when follow-up includes self-examination and tumour marker assessment to reduce the risk of interval tumour growth. KEY POINTS: Small, non-palpable and asymptomatic testicular nodules < 1 cm are unexpectedly discovered during scrotal ultrasound. Growth indicators estimate the potential malignancy, even though overlap with non-malignant lesions exists. Non-growing incidentalomas can be safely followed up.

From Adenoma to Carcinoma: the Unexpected Evolution of an Apparently Stable Adrenal Lesion.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of solid long-term evidence with respect to the management over time of adrenal incidentalomas that miss clearly benign radiological features. We present the case of a 75-year-old man with a non-secreting adrenal mass, apparently stable in size (14 mm) and unchanged in features for 2 years, but subsequently diagnosed as adrenal carcinoma. CASE REPORT: The patient was referred to Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda in August 2022 due to the presence of a large lesion in the left adrenal site. In 2017, a 14 mm, 20 HU, round, regular-edged lesion was detected at a CT scan without contrast medium. Over the next two years, the patient was re-evaluated every 6 months with follow-up CT scans with no apparent densitometric or dimensional changes in the known lesion. In September 2022, 3 years after the last CT scan, the patient was hospitalised for pneumonia. An abdominal CT scan acquired during the hospitalisation showed an increase of the lesion to 14.5x10x12 cm. The patient subsequently underwent open nephrosurrenectomy, and histological examination confirmed the presence of an adrenal carcinoma (proliferation index 5%, Weiss score 7). No adjuvant therapy was administered, and the last CT scan in December 2022 was negative for the recurrence of the disease. CONCLUSION: Adrenal carcinoma usually presents as a clearly malignant lesion with rapid growth and a marked tendency to metastasise. This case highlights how an adrenal adenoma with indeterminate features is worthy of follow-up over time despite its apparent dimensional and radiological stability [1].

A Case of Thoracic Aortic Mural Thrombus and Multiple Hypercoagulable Etiologies.

Thoracic aortic mural thrombi (TAMT) are rare yet a significant cause of emboli and mortality. Hypercoagulability is thought to play a role in pathogenesis. A common association is prothrombin G20210A mutation. We present a case of an 87-year-old man with an incidentally found TAMT in the setting of prothrombin mutation, metastatic prostate cancer, and a myeloproliferative disorder. The patient had several causes activating Virchow's hypercoagulability principle, contributing to a centrally located clot. Because of its paucity in the literature, we advocate for further research concerning treatment modalities of TAMTs as well as an additional and timely workup for hypercoagulable states to prevent further calamity.

Incidental findings are frequent in shoulder CT and MRI scans and increase with age.

Objectives: CT and MRI scans of the shoulder can lead to the identification of incidental findings (IF), which can have a major impact on the further treatment of the patient. The aim of this retrospective study was to record the prevalence of IF, incidentalomas (IT) and malignant IT for CT and MRI examinations of the shoulder and to investigate the effect of patient characteristics on the statistical occurrence of IF, IT and malignant IT. Materials and methods: A total of 903 shoulder examinations (415 CT, 488 MRI) were retrospectively analyzed for the presence of IF, subsequently categorized (harmless IF, IT requiring clarification, malignant IT) and analyzed regarding patient characteristics. The statistical analysis was carried out using independent t- and chi-square tests. A significance level of p < 0.05 was set. Results: Among the 903 patients evaluated (436 female, 467 male), 153 (16.9%) patients experienced IF (harmless IF: 101 (11.2%) patients, IT: 94 (10.4%), malignant IT: 4 (0.4%). The average age of the patients without IF and IT was significantly lower compared to the patients with IF and IT (p < 0.001). While IF occurred in 31.1% of the CT, IF was only detected in 4.9% of the MRI (p < 0.001). Conclusion: IF have a high prevalence (16.9%), especially in CT examinations of the shoulder, which increases with age. The exact detection and initiation of appropriate therapy is of great clinical importance, as early detection of life-threatening diseases enables more effective treatment and a potential gain in health and lifespan.

Evaluation of Adrenal Incidentaloma.

Adrenal incidentalomas have increased due to advanced and more sensitive imaging modalities, their increased utilization, and the aging population. Most adrenal incidentalomas are nonfunctional and benign, but a subset of patients has functional and/or malignant tumors. The evaluation of patients with an adrenal incidentaloma involves addressing 2 clinical questions: (1) Is the tumor functional? (2) Is the tumor malignant? A careful history and physical examination focused on signs and symptoms of adrenal functional tumors, biochemical testing, and imaging features are the cornerstone in the evaluation of patients with an adrenal incidentaloma.

[Adrenal tumors: current standards in clinical management]. / Nebennierentumoren ­ aktuelle Standards im klinischen Management.

Adrenal tumors are among the most common tumors in humans. They are most frequently discovered incidentally during abdominal imaging for other reasons or due to clinical symptoms (e.g. Conn's or Cushing's syndrome, pheochromocytoma or androgen excess). Although over 80% of adrenal tumors are benign, in cases of hormone excess, they are associated with significantly increased morbidity. In highly malignant adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), early diagnosis is of particular prognostic relevance. Therefore, this review presents the diagnostic procedure for what are referred to as adrenal incidentalomas and provide recommendations for the management of ACC and pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas (PPGL). In primary diagnosis, sufficient hormone diagnostics is required for all adrenal tumors, as this is the only way to identify all patients with relevant hormone excess. Imaging has increasingly improved in recent years and allows a reliable assessment of the tumor's malignancy in most cases. Imaging of first choice is unenhanced computed tomography (CT), while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorodeoxyglucose-18 positron emission tomography (FDG-PET/CT) are reserved for special situations, as published evidence on these procedures is more limited. The treatment of ACC and PPGL is complex and is carried out on an interdisciplinary basis at specialized centers. In the case of localized disease, surgery is the only curative treatment option. There are now clear recommendations for individualized adjuvant therapy for ACC. In metastatic disease, mitotane with or without platinum-containing chemotherapy is the standard. Other lines of therapy should be discussed with a reference center. Over 35% of PPGL have a germline mutation; therefore, genetic testing should be offered. In metastatic PPGL, an individual decision is required between active surveillance, radionuclide therapy, sunitinib or chemotherapy.