Effectiveness of Robot-assisted Adrenalectomy for a Giant Adrenal Hemangioma: A Case Report

Adrenal hemangiomas are extremely rare benign tumors that often need to be distinguished from malignancies. Adrenal tumors >4 cm in size are treated surgically because the possibility of malignancy cannot be ruled out. Traditionally, open surgery has been the mainstay of treatment; however, in recent years, robot-assisted surgery has been increasingly used for tumors of larger size and suspected malignancy. Here, we report a case of robot-assisted adrenalectomy for an 11 cm adrenal hemangioma.

A 62-year-old male with lateral abdominal pain was referred to our hospital for further examination and treatment. His medical history was significant for hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Computed tomography revealed an 11 cm left adrenal tumor, and all endocrinological screening tests were negative. Because the possibility of malignancy could not be ruled out, a robot-assisted adrenalectomy was performed. The operation time was 129 min, and the estimated blood loss was 7 ml. Pathological findings revealed an adrenal hemangioma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and patient's condition subsequently improved postoperatively.

Robot-assisted adrenalectomy was performed for a giant adrenal hemangioma without any complications. Robotic surgery is useful for resecting adrenal hemangiomas even exceeding 11 cm in diameter.