ADENOMAS OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX

Abstract

ADENOMAS of the adrenal cortex are reported in 1.45 to 33 per cent of all autopsies,1and they have been considered to be of significance in hypertension and diabetes mellitus.2This study represents an attempt to determine the incidence of adenomas of the adrenal cortex and to ascertain whether they occur more often in patients with hypertensive cardiovascular disease, cardiac enlargement, diabetes mellitus or gonadal changes. For this study, any roughly spherical nodule with a diameter greater than 3 mm. budding from an edge of the gland or into the medulla was considered to be an adenoma of the adrenal cortex. The tumors contained variable proportions of vacuolated and eosinophilic cells resembling those of the adrenal cortex. The histologic architecture, however, was distinctly different from that of normal adrenal cortex. None of the nodules showed evidence of malignant change. Detailed reports of cytologic and histologic characteristics have been