Adrenal myelolipoma: rationale for nonoperative management

With increasing use of computerized tomography and ultrasonography, asymptomatic lesions of the adrenal gland are frequently detected. One such tumor is the adrenal myelolipoma, composed of adipose and hemic elements histologically resembling bone marrow. This tumor can be diagnosed by its characteristic appearance on CT scan, and fine-needle biopsy guided by CT can be used to obtain a tissue diagnosis. Because patients with adrenal myelolipoma typically have recurrence of symptoms after resection, surgical intervention is not indicated unless an enlarging tumor impinges on surrounding structures.