Adrenal incidentaloma: a case of carcinoma

Abstract

Giovanni Ruotolo1, Maria Raffaella Ambrosio5, Patrizia Rosa Caroleo1, Elvira Bonacci1, Anna Maria Condito2, Alfonso Merante1, Pierpaolo Arcuri3, Bruno Jim Rocca5, Bianca Virginia Palermo4, Saverio Palermo4, Pietro Gareri61Head Physician Geriatric Unit, 2Emergency Medicine Unit, 3Division of Radiology, 4Nuclear Medicine Unit, “Pugliese-Ciaccio” Hospital, Catanzaro, Italy; 5Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, Pathological Anatomy Section, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; 6Elderly Health Care, ASP Catanzaro, Catanzaro, ItalyAbstract: Adrenal incidentaloma (AI) is a term applied to an accidentally discovered adrenal mass on imaging performed for reasons unrelated to adrenal pathology. The widespread application of abdominal imaging procedure has resulted in an increased frequency of clinically silent adrenal masses. Although most AIs are nonfunctioning benign adenomas, a multidisciplinary approach with biochemical and radiological evaluation is needed to characterize these lesions and identify patients who are at high risk for hormonal or malignant evolution. Herein, we describe a case of a 69-year-old man with a pain at the base of right chest. On the basis of clinical evaluation, biochemical analysis, as well as imaging procedures, a diagnosis of right adrenocortical carcinoma was made. The patient underwent medical treatment.Keywords: adrenal incidentaloma, adrenal mass, adrenocortical carcinoma

Keywords

• adrenal incidentaloma
• adrenal mass
• adrenocortical carcinoma