Virilising adrenocortical carcinoma
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Updated: Sep 28, 2026

A Novel Method: Super-selective Adrenal Venous Sampling
Published on: September 15, 2017
Dilip Kumar Pal1, Anup Kumar Kundu, Subrata Chakrabortty
1Department of Surgery, North Bengal Medical College, Sushrutanagar, Darjeeling.
Abstract:
A 16-year-old, Hindu, female presented with rapidly growing abdominal lump for 6 months, primary amenorrhoea and non-development of secondary sex characters. Her BP was 180/120 mmHg. There was an excessive hirsutism involving face, neck, shoulders, abdomen and thighs. A lump was felt at left lumbar region extending on to left hypochondrium and part of umbilical region. Her serum testosterone level was 224 ng/dl and cortisol level was 15 microg/dl. Ultrasonography revealed a solid mass arising from the upper pole of left kidney. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a huge left adrenal tumour which was removed completely. Histopathology of the resected mass showed sheets of large round to polyhedral cells with hyperchromatic nuclei and eosinophilic granular cytoplasm with numerous giant cells. The case was diagnosed as virilising adrenocortical carcinoma.
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