Bilateral Lipoadenoma of the Adrenal Glands and Humeral Brown Tumor: An Unusual Association

Abstract

Adrenal adenolipomas are rare lipomatous adrenal tumors that can be either functional or not. Only 7 cases have been reported in the English literature so far. However, brown tumors are benign, rare, historical lesions, with histological similarity to giant tumors that can be encountered in 1% of all primary hyperparathyroidism cases. We report the case of an unusual association of bilateral lipoadenoma of the adrenal glands and humeral brown tumor in a 35-year-old patient. He presented to the emergency department with a pathological fracture of the left humerus secondary to a brown tumor. The medical investigations have concluded to primary hyperparathyroidism. The screening for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 revealed the presence of bilateral nonsecreting adrenal masses whose anatomopathological study concluded adenolipomas. Adrenal tumors may constitute a part of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 in 20 to 40% of cases. In this view, it is necessary to check for the presence of other endocrine gland tumor locations such as primary hyperparathyroidism, neuroendocrine tumors of the duodenum and pancreas, or pituitary adenomas.