[Incidentally discovered adrenal masses in the Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Hemostatic Disorders, Medical University of Gdansk].

UNLABELLED: Clinically silent adrenal masses (incidentaloma) are incidentally discovered lesions when noninvasive imaging methods (ultrasonography--USG, computer tomography--CT, magnetic resonance imaging--MRI) are performed for the reason other than known or suspected adrenal disease. Most of studies report the prevalence of adrenal incidentaloma range between 1 and 10% in radiological series.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1993 and 03.2004 we observed 198 patients with incidentalomas of adrenal glands (144 females--72.7% and 54 males--27.3%).

RESULTS: After endocrinological evaluation, 164 patients were qualified for surgery. In 119 (72.5%) cases open adrenalectomy was performed, and in 45 (27.5%) laparoscopic adrenalectomy was done. Adrenocortical adenoma was diagnosed in 54.9%, adrenal hyperplasia in 8.5%, adrenal carcinoma in 6.7%, pheochromocytoma in 12.9% (in 3.1% of all cases malignant pheochromocytoma was diagnosed), in 4.9% others malignant tumors (primary or metastatic), in 4.9% adrenal cysts and in 7.1% other rare adrenal pathologies were found.

CONCLUSION: All malignancies were found in tumors with the diameter over 3 cm. In tumors with diameter over 6 cm malignant cases were found in 70.8%.