Unilateral adrenal hematoma with associated giant mass: a report of two cases

Background: Adrenal hematoma is a rare yet potentially life-threatening event that occurs both in traumatic conditions and in a variety of nontraumatic conditions. In the present study, we report the two cases with idiopathic unilateral adrenal hematoma. Case presentation: Case 1 involved a 72-year-old man who was complaining of upper abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a giant mixed density tumor in the right retroperitoneal space. To remove the tumor, we carried out an adrenalectomy on the right adrenal gland, resecting a specimen measuring 15 × 13.5 cm. The histopathological findings of the specimen revealed a hematoma with normal adrenal tissue. Case 2 involved a 53-year-old woman who complained of an uncomfortable feeling in her left upper abdomen. A retroperitoneal tumor had formed a multicystic lesion and resected because the left renal vein had become compressed. The resected specimen was 10.5 × 10 cm in size and revealed an adrenal hematoma. In the absence of any obvious etiology, the diagnoses in both cases were idiopathic adrenal hematoma. Conclusion: An accurate diagnosis of idiopathic adrenal hematoma is quite difficult to make prior to surgery. Some imaging modalities are useful in generating a differential diagnosis.