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Updated: Sep 1, 2025

In Vivo, Percutaneous, Needle Based, Optical Coherence Tomography of Renal Masses
Published on: March 30, 2015
Unilateral adrenal tuberculosis whose computed tomography imaging characteristics mimic a malignant tumor: A case
Hui Liu1, Tian-Jiao Tang2, Zhen-Mei An3
1Department of General Practice, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
Background:
Adrenal tuberculosis usually presents with bilateral involvement. It has special characteristics in computed tomography (CT) images, such as small size, low attenuation in the center, and peripheral rim enhancement, which differ from those of primary tumors.
Case Summary:
A 42-year-old female presented to the hospital with low back pain. She had been diagnosed with hypertension as well as pulmonary and cerebral tuberculosis but denied having any fever, fatigue, anorexia, night sweats, cough, or weight loss. Abdominal CT revealed an irregular 6.0 cm × 4.5 cm mass with uneven density in the right adrenal gland, while the left adrenal gland was normal. No abnormalities were observed in plasma total cortisol (8 am), adrenocorticotropic hormone, aldosterone/renin ratio, blood catecholamines, or urine catecholamines. A fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the right adrenal gland provided evidence of tuberculosis. After three years of anti-tuberculosis treatments, the large mass in the right adrenal gland was reduced to a slight enlargement.
Conclusion:
This is a case of unilateral adrenal tuberculosis with CT imaging characteristics mimicking those of a malignant tumor. Extended anti-tuberculosis therapy is recommended in such cases.
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