Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 24, 2025

A Novel Method: Super-selective Adrenal Venous Sampling
Published on: September 15, 2017
[French ccAFU guidelines - update 2020-2022: malignancy assessment of an adrenal incidentaloma]
P-H Savoie1, T Murez2, A Fléchon3
1Comité de cancérologie de l'Association française d'urologie, groupe vessie, Maison de l'urologie, 11, rue Viète, 75017 Paris, France; Service de chirurgie urologique, hôpital d'instruction des armées Sainte-Anne, BP 600, 83800 Toulon Cedex 09, France.
Introduction:
- The objective of this publication is to recall the initial oncological management of adrenal incidentalomas.
Material & Methods:
- The multidisciplinary working group updated french urological guidelines established by the CCAFU in 2018, based on an exhaustive literature review carried out on PubMed.
Results:
- Although the majority of the adrenal masses are benign and non-functional, it is important to investigate them, as a percentage of these can cause serious endocrine diseases or be cancers. Malignant adrenal tumors are mainly represented by Adrenocortical Carcinomas (ACC), malignant pheochromocytomas (MPC) and adrenal metastases (AM). The malignancy assessment of an adrenal incident includes a complete history, a physical examination, a biochemical / hormonal assessment to look for subclinical hormonal secretion. Diagnostic hypotheses are sometimes available at this stage, but it is the morphological and functional imaging and the histological analysis which will make it possible to close the malignancy assessment and make the oncological diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- AC and MPC are mainly sporadic but a hereditary origin is always possible. ACC is suspected preoperatively but the diagnosis of certainty is histological. The diagnosis of MPC is more delicate and is based on clinic, biology and imagery. The diagnosis of certainty of AM requires a percutaneous biopsy. At the end, the files must be discussed within the COMETE - adrenal cancer network (Appendix 1).
Related Concept Videos
Adrenal Gland Disorders
Adrenal insufficiency, characterized by insufficient cortisol and aldosterone production, leads to conditions like Addison's disease. This disorder, affecting the adrenal cortex, exhibits symptoms such as skin bronzing, dehydration, low blood pressure, fatigue, and weight loss. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a genetic ailment causing...
Anatomy of the Adrenal Glands
These glands possess a distinctive yellow tinge due to the stored cholesterol and fatty acids required for hormone synthesis. They are encased in a fibrous capsule and cushioned by fat.
The adrenal gland comprises two distinct...
Hormones of the Adrenal Glands
The adrenal cortex, a powerhouse of hormone synthesis, generates over two dozen corticosteroid hormones. The zona glomerulosa produces mineralocorticoids, exemplified by aldosterone, influencing the electrolyte composition of body fluids. The synthesis of glucocorticoids such as cortisol and...
Cancer Survival Analysis

