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Updated: Mar 7, 2026

A Novel Method: Super-selective Adrenal Venous Sampling
Published on: September 15, 2017
Update on CT and MRI of Adrenal Nodules
Nicola Schieda1, Evan S Siegelman2
11 Department of Radiology, The Ottawa Hospital, The University of Ottawa, 1053 Carling Ave, Civic Campus C1, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4E9, Canada.
Objective:
The objective of this article is to review the current role of CT and MRI for the characterization of adrenal nodules.
Conclusion:
Unenhanced CT and chemical-shift MRI have high specificity for lipid-rich adenomas. Dual-energy CT provides comparable to slightly lower sensitivity for the diagnosis of lipid-rich adenomas but may improve characterization of lipid-poor adenomas. Nonadenomas containing intracellular lipid pose an imaging challenge; however, nonadenomas that contain lipid may be potentially diagnosed using other imaging features. Multiphase adrenal washout CT can be used to differentiate lipid-poor adenomas from metastases but is limited for the diagnosis of hypervascular malignancies and pheochromocytoma.
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