Identifying unilateral aldosterone-producing adenomas using published algorithms and imaging: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

Primary aldosteronism (PA) caused by a unilateral aldosterone-producing adrenal adenoma is potentially curable by surgery. Radiologically visible adrenal adenomas are not necessarily functional, so adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is recommended to lateralise aldosterone excess. However, AVS is technically challenging and limited in availability. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of published algorithms for lateralisation without AVS and identify the top-performing algorithms with the highest specificity.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

Algorithms to predict unilateral PA and enable lateralisation without AVS, using AVS with or without surgical outcomes as the comparator, were systematically evaluated. Meta-analysis and meta-regression were conducted to obtain and compare aggregated estimates, respectively.

RESULTS

There were 43 studies evaluating 30 unique algorithms grouped into four categories: i) those combining biochemical, radiological and demographic characteristics; ii) algorithms involving confirmatory testing or adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation; iii) anatomical imaging; and iv) functional imaging. The meta-analysis demonstrated the highest specificity (95%) in the first two categories. The algorithm with the highest specificity (98%) for unilateral PA consisted of an adrenal nodule on CT, plasma aldosterone concentration >20.0 ng/dL (554 pmol/L), hypokalaemia (≤3.5 mmol/L) and renin concentration ≤5 mIU/L. Anatomical imaging for subtyping had poor specificity (69%), while functional imaging had higher specificity (86%), noting variation in functional imaging modalities and criteria for lateralisation.

CONCLUSIONS

Algorithms may be used to identify unilateral PA without invasive testing in a modest proportion of patients. Validation in different populations is required to enable the widespread use of these tools.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: PA is gaining recognition as an important cause of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The bottleneck created by AVS to subtype PA leads to delays in diagnosis and treatment. Selecting patients likely to have a unilateral aldosterone-producing adrenal adenoma, who can bypass AVS, will facilitate prompt surgical treatment and optimize the use of healthcare resources. Incorporating algorithms into the diagnostic evaluation of PA could streamline patient care and expedite appropriate treatments that will minimise the sequelae of aldosterone excess.