Radiofrequency Ablation of Functioning Adrenal Adenomas: Preliminary Clinical and Laboratory Findings

To evaluate clinical and laboratory findings in patients undergoing radiofrequency (RF) ablation for functioning adrenal adenomas.

Eleven adult patients, nine with Conn syndrome and two with Cushing syndrome, underwent percutaneous computed tomography-guided RF ablation for benign adrenal neoplasms. Systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure and the number of classes of antihypertensive drugs used by each patient were analyzed before and 1, 4, and 12 weeks after the procedure. Serum hormone levels were analyzed within 30 days before and 12 weeks after the procedure.

Of the nine patients with Conn syndrome, eight showed normal serum aldosterone levels after the procedure and one patient had a nodule located very close to the inferior vena cava, resulting in incomplete ablation. The two patients with Cushing syndrome had normal serum and salivary cortisol levels after the procedure. Mean aldosterone concentration at baseline was 63.3 ng/dL ± 28.0 and decreased to 13.3 ng/dL ± 13.5 at 12 weeks postoperatively (P = .008). Systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures decreased significantly in the first week after the procedure (P < .001) and remained stable during further follow-up.

In patients with Conn syndrome or Cushing syndrome, percutaneous RF ablation of functioning adrenal adenomas may result in normalization of hormone secretion, improvement in blood pressure, and reduced need for antihypertensive drugs.