Advances in our understanding of the prognosis of adrenal incidentaloma

ABSTRACT

Introduction: As cross-sectional abdominal imaging is used increasingly, adrenal incidentaloma (AI) are being found frequently and present a clinical dilemma. The vast majority are benign and non-functioning, but a minority represent incidentally found functional or malignant tumours. In this review we summarise the current clinical, biochemical and radiological investigation of AI and discuss recent advances that differentiate clinically inconsequential lesions from functional and/or malignant AI.

Areas covered: Prevalence, natural history, biochemical and radiological assessment, indications for surgery and surgical provision.

Expert commentary: Well established work-up of AI usually enables benign, non-functioning lesions to be differentiated from functioning and/or malignant AI. In indeterminate lesions recent advances in work-up such as urine steroid profiles measured by gas chromatography /mass spectrometry and functional imaging with 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in addition to standard investigations have improved characterisation of these lesions. The management of AI showing mild autonomous hypercortisolism without overt features of Cushing’s syndrome remains controversial and is discussed in this review.

KEYWORDS:

• Adrenal gland
• incidentaloma
• Cushing’s syndrome
• phaeochromocytoma
• primary hyperaldosteronism
• adrenal adenoma
• adrenocortical carcinoma
• computed tomography
• magnetic resonance imaging
• adrenalectomy

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Additional information

Funding

No funding to declare.