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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
06:08
A Novel Method: Super-selective Adrenal Venous Sampling
Published on: September 15, 2017
Primary aldosteronism and hypercortisolism due to bilateral functioning adrenocortical adenomas
Kenji Oki1, Kiminori Yamane2, Yu Sakashita2
1Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Division of Clinical Medical Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan. kenji-oki@hiroshima-u.ac.jp.
Clinical and Experimental Nephrology
|June 11, 2008
Summary
This study reports an extremely rare case of bilateral adrenal tumors in a hypertensive patient. Both adrenal adenomas were found to produce both cortisol and aldosterone, confirmed by clinical and pathological analysis.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- A 50-year-old male with a 15-year history of hypertension presented with bilateral adrenal tumors.
- Initial evaluation revealed autonomous cortisol and aldosterone secretion, with imaging showing 10-mm masses in each adrenal gland.
Observation:
- Adrenal venous catheterization suggested a left cortisol-producing tumor and a right aldosterone-producing tumor.
- Despite initial left partial adrenalectomy, persistent over-secretion of cortisol and aldosterone necessitated a subsequent right adrenalectomy.
Findings:
- Pathological examination, including immunohistochemistry, indicated that both adrenal adenomas likely produced both cortisol and aldosterone.
- This bilateral adrenal tumor presentation is exceptionally rare, with complex hormone secretion patterns.
Implications:
- This case highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges posed by rare bilateral adrenal tumors with mixed hormone production.
- Understanding such complex cases is crucial for refining diagnostic protocols and treatment strategies in endocrine surgery.
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