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Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions
Published on: March 12, 2019
[Childhood adrenocortical tumors]
Rosana Marques Pereira1, Edson Michalkiewicz, Fabiano Sandrini
1Unidade de Endocrinologia, Departamento de Pediatria, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR.
Abstract:
Adrenocortical tumors (ACT) in children are uncommon. However, the incidence of these tumors in Paraná, Brazil, is 15 times higher than that worldwide. We describe the clinical, laboratory and treatment characteristics and outcome of 125 patients treated in a single institution in the State of Paraná. The median age at diagnosis was 4.3 years, with a female:male ratio of 2.6:1. The most common forms of presentation were isolated virilization (51.2%) and virilization and Cushing's syndrome (42%). Nonfunctioning tumors comprised 4.8% of the cases. Two patients (1.6%) had isolated Cushing's syndrome and 1 (0.8%) had Conn's syndrome. Fifty-six percent presented hypertension. Surgery is the only curative treatment. Our data show that disease stage 1, absence of spillage during surgery and absence of intravenous thrombus were associated with better survival rates.
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