Normal adrenal glands in small cell lung carcinoma: CT-guided biopsy

Twenty-four small cell lung carcinoma patients with morphologically normal adrenal glands by computed tomographic (CT) criteria underwent percutaneous thin-needle biopsy of their adrenal glands. Of 43 glands biopsied, 29 had adequate cellular material for interpretation. Five (17%) of the 29 glands were positive for metastases; the rest had negative biopsies. This series indicates an approximate 17% false-negative diagnosis rate by CT when staging the adrenal glands in patients with small cell lung carcinoma. It also demonstrates the utility of percutaneous needle biopsy as an investigational tool to further evaluate normal-sized adrenal glands in the oncologic patient.