[Sonographically guided fine-needle puncture of adrenal tumors]

Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsies were performed in 37 patients (23 women, 14 men; mean age 58 [47-81] years) out of 310 patients in whom an adrenal tumour had been diagnosed by ultrasound between 1985 and 1991. In 21 the tumour diameter was 2-4 cm, in 16 over 4 cm. In 36 patients (97%) the material was suitable for histological analysis. There were 15 metastases, 4 primary adrenal carcinomas and 17 adenomas. 20 of 27 with an underlying malignant tumour had a malignant adrenal tumour (one of the aspiration biopsies in these cases was false-negative), while in 7 the space-occupying lesion was found to be benign. There were no false-positive findings. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy thus proved to be a reliable and informative method in the diagnosis of adrenal tumours. It should be undertaken under appropriate indication to ascertain the benign or malignant nature of a suspected adrenal lesion.