Author(s)

Rashmi D. Patel, Aruna V. Vanikar, Kamlesh S. Suthar, Kamal V. Kanodia

Department of Pathology, Laboratory Medicine and Transfusion Services and Immunohematology, G. R. Doshi and K. M. Mehta Institute Of Kidney Diseases & Research Centre (IKDRC)-Dr. H.L. Trivedi Institute of Transplantation Sciences (ITS), Civil Hospital Campus, Ahmedabad, India.

Primary adrenal tumors are less commonly encountered in clinic. They may be functional/non-functional and noted incidentally when investigating for other problems. However there is no study available in Asian countries, and especially India regarding the incidence and natural history of these tumors. We carried out a study on adrenal tumors noted in our set-up for last five years to document the prevalence of adrenal tumors, their presentation along with the most common tumor followed by incidence of other tumors and their clinical and pathological presentation. This was a retrospective study in our hospital from June 2006 to 2011. 29 adrenalectomies performed over 5 years. Their clinical presentation and investigations were recorded and analyzed. Adrenal tumors accounted for 0.6% of total surgical specimens, 18 out of 29 belonged to males. Majority (85.2%) of the patients were adults with mean age, 39.8 years. Majority (79.3%) had presented with symptoms, incidentalomas were found in 20.7% patients out of which 2 belonged to potential kidney donors. Nonfunctioning tumors were noted in 58.6% patients. Pheochromocytoma was the commonest tumor noted in 68.9% followed by adrenal cortical adenoma in 13.7%, carcinoma in 6.9% and lipoma, myelolipoma and ganglioneuroma, 3.45% each. All the patients are doing well over a mean follow-up of 2.5 years. To our knowledge this is the first study on incidence and natural history of primary adrenal tumors which are less commonly encountered and usually have good prognosis.

Adrenal Tumors; Pheochromocytoma; Hypertension; Incidentaloma

R. D. Patel, A. V. Vanikar, K. S. Suthar and K. V. Kanodia, "Primary Adrenal Tumors-Five Years Single Centre Experience," Open Journal of Pathology, Vol. 2 No. 4, 2012, pp. 107-112. doi: 10.4236/ojpathology.2012.24020.