Malignant and unclear histological findings in incidentalomas

Abstract

Background: The management of incidentalomas with tumor size 3 cm and larger is still under controversial discussion.

Study design: Clinical charts of 65 patients who underwent adrenalectomy for an incidentaloma were reviewed.

Results: Sixty-five patients were operated. There were 28 men and 37 women with a median age of 56.9 years. Median size of all resected lesions was 4.1 cm. Indications for surgery were tumor size equal and larger than 3 cm, recurrent pain, hormone status and patients' fear of malignancy. In 45 patients, the adenomas did not meet the defined criteria of malignancy. There were 9 cases of adrenal hyperplasia, and two cysts and two hematomas were found in 4 patients. Moreover, 1 schwannoma and 1 myelolipoma were removed. In 3 patients, a primary adrenocortical carcinoma of 3.4, 4.0, and 5.0 cm in diameter, respectively, was identified. In 1 patient, an adrenal cortical carcinoma of 10.0 cm in diameter was operated. In 1 patient, the status (size: 4.5 cm) could not be determined conclusively.

Conclusion: Hormonal activity should be determined independent of the size, and lesions with hormonal activity should be resected; in the presence of hormonally inactive masses, removal of tumors of 3 cm and larger in size is recommended.