[Clinical characteristics of 33 patients with adrenal incidentaloma]

Incidentally diagnosed, clinically asymptomatic adrenal masses (incidentaloma) have become more and more common problem in everyday clinical practice. The prevalence of such tumors is 2.3% in autopsy series and 0.5-2% in computed tomography series. The aim of the study was a clinical analysis of patients with adrenal incidentaloma, hospitalized in the Department of Internal and Metabolic Diseases of the Medical University of Silesia.

33 patients, including 25 females (75.7%) and 8 males (24.3%), were investigated. The mean age was 59.0 +/- 10.7 year (31-80) and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 29.6 +/- 5.9 kg/m2 (19.4-47).

16 patients (48.5%) were obese and 10 more patients (30.3%) were overweight. Hypertension was diagnosed in 25 patients (75.8%), diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance in 9 patients (27.3%) and hyperlipidemia in 20 patients (60.6%). Endocrine tests revealed: disturbed cortisol rhythm in 1 patient, uncertain result of the overnight dexamethasone suppression test in 4 patients, elevated urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids excretion in 7 patients, elevated urinary 17-ketosteroids excretion in 2 patients and increased urinary excretion ofvanillylmandelic acid in 2 patients. The tumor was located in the right adrenal gland in 13 patients (39.4%) and in the left adrenal gland in 16 patients (48.5%). 4 patients (12.1%) demonstrated bilateral adrenal masses. At least one of the tumor sizes was greater than 40 mm in 3 patients (9.1%).

Clinically asymptomatic adrenal tumors occurred more frequently in overweight or obese women, between 51-70 years old, with lipid disorders and hypertension.