[Is laparoscopic resection of a malignant corticoadrenaloma feasible? Case report of early, diffuse and massive...

As surgeons wholeheartedly and intensely supporting (and deeply involved in) laparoscopic adrenal surgery, we think that laparoscopic resection of benign adrenal tumors is about to make conventional laparotomy obsolete. However, considering the many reported cases of tumor seeding after laparoscopy, we consider that proven or suspected adrenal cancer remains an absolute contra-indication for laparoscopy. It is precisely for this reason that we feel duty-bound to report the tragic and life-threatening case of a 25-year-old woman operated for malignant adrenal cancer and suffering from diffuse and massive peritoneal carcinomatosis diagnosed at the sixth postoperative month. A complete macroscopic debulking was carried out with removal of all visible tumor nodules followed by immediate intraperitoneal cisplatinum chemotherapy and six postoperative courses of systemic cisplatinum, etoposide and mitotane chemotherapy. This combined and aggressive therapy induced remission that perhaps could have been initially obtained with a more critical and proper surgical operation. We hope this paper will contribute in the future to avoiding similar catastrophes that could rapidly discredit such a promising new form of surgery.