Abstract

Rationale: Ectopic adrenal tissue is the adrenal rests along the path from gonads to adrenal glands during embryogenesis. Ectopic aldosteronoma is a rare disease presented with over-production of aldosterone by the ectopic adrenocortical tissue. Diagnosis is a clinical challenge with simultaneous occurrence of ectopic aldosteronoma. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of simultaneous occurrence of aldosteronoma in the adrenal gland and ectopic aldosteronoma in the liver based on literatures. Patient concerns: A 33-year-old woman presented with resistant hypertension and severe hypokalemea for 3 years. 5 months ago, the patient was diagnosed as aldosteronoma in left adrenal gland and underwent right adrenalectomy. The histopathological examination of the resected sample suggested adrenal cortical adenoma. The patient still had symptoms of hypertension and hypokalemia after operation, but the blood potassium level was higher than that before operation (minimum blood potassium level rose from 1.8 mmol/L to 2.6 mmol/L). Diagnosis: The saline load test, captopril test, and plasma aldosterone/renin ratio were indicative of primary aldosteronism (PA). The computed tomographic scan (CT) was suggestive of a low-density mass (2.9×2.2 cm) in the liver which was very near to the right adrenal area. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) further confirmed that the lesion was located in the liver. PET-CT eliminated the possibility of metastasis to other parts of the body. Ultrasound guided biopsy confirmed that the tumor was ectopic adrenal tissue in the liver. Interventions: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation was performed to the tumor in the liver.Outcomes: The patient’s blood potassium level was 3.8 mmol/L on the third day after the ablation without any potassium supplementation treatments. On follow-up of 2-weeks duration, the patient has g good control over her blood pressure of around 126/74 mmHg and blood potassium of 4.55 mmol/L, without taking any medications. Lessons: The patient was diagnosed with PA due to simultaneous occurrence of aldosteronoma in the left adrenal gland and ectopic aldosteronoma in the liver, which is very rare. Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation is a safe and effective treatment for ectopic aldosteronoma in liver.

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