Bilateral Adrenal Glands Research Articles

Mifepristone Utilization in Cushing’s From Large Bilateral Adrenal Adenoma Prior to Surgery

Utilization of mifepristone was described to mitigate hypercortisolism from bilateral adrenal Cushing’s syndrome. A 47-year-old female on abdominal pain evaluation with CT was found to have a 5.4 × 1.7 × 4.9 cm right adrenal nodule and a 4.3 × 2.9 × 3.3 cm left adrenal nodule with calcification on CT scan with each having density of -3 Housefield units. She had hypercortisolism with testing revealing high urine free cortisol, unsuppressed cortisol on 1 mg and 8 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression testing, high 11 pm salivary cortisol × 2 along with elevated random cortisol and undetectable ACTH. Her DHEA-S, plasma metanephrine, and rostenedione, renin and aldosterone levels were normal. Adrenal venous sampling for lateralization of hypercortisolism source using dexamethasone 2 mg PO Q 6 hours × 1 day, showed adrenal vein epinephrine levels step up > 100 pg/mL, indicating successful catheterization. Each side adrenal vein to vena caval cortisol ratio > 4 was consistent with autonomous cortisol secretion and left to right adrenal cortisol ratio 50 lbs weight loss, improved blood pressure, complete healing of chronic lower extremity cellulitis and independent ambulation within 4 months. Initially right adrenal adenoma and then left adrenal adenoma were resected in two separate surgeries and pathology showed bilateral enlarged adrenal glands with multiple adrenocortical nodules without adrenal carcinoma. Mifepristone, FDA approved for inoperable Cushing’s, facilitated pre-surgery optimization by effectively mitigating hypercortisolism. Mifepristone was utilized as a bridge for Cushing’s medical management prior to surgery. J Endocrinol Metab. 2015;5(3):226-228 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jem288w

Bilateral Adrenal Masses in a Patient in Remission From Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia

CLINICAL PRESENTATION A 51-year-old man presented in the outpatient department with a 1-month history of persistent low-grade fever. He was diagnosed with acute myelomonocytic leukemia 4 years before and was treated with induction therapy of standard-dose cytarabine with daunorubicin, followed by consolidation therapy with cytarabine. Until this time, he had been in complete remission. Workup on admission revealed no pathogen detected in blood or sputum cultures. The early morning serum cortisol was 15.89 mg/dL, and urine vanillylmandelic acid level was normal. The bone marrow aspiration revealed normal cellularity and no residual blasts. The coronal computed tomography (CT) scan of abdomen and pelvis demonstrated bilateral adrenal masses, 10.8 cm in diameter on the right side (Figure 1A, black arrow) and 10.0 cm in diameter on the left side (Figure 1A, arrowhead). Celiac trunk nodal involvement was also found (Figure 1A, white arrow). 18Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/CT imaging showed “H” appearance of intense 18F-FDG uptake at bilateral adrenal glands (the maximum value of standardized uptake value [SUVmax] up to 30) and an ill-defined FDG-avid tumor (about 4.5 cm, SUVmax from 18.3 to 20.9) between bilateral lesions (Figure 1B). The core biopsy of the right adrenal mass disclosed features of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and he was treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, liposomal doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CLOP). Follow-up CT scan obtained 3 months later showed nearly complete resolution of bilateral adrenal mass. Although secondary involvement of the adrenal gland occurs in up to 25% of patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, its clinical manifestation is usually ambiguous. Positron emission tomography/CT has potential advantages over traditional radiological examinations for diagnosis, staging of disease and detecting recurrences of malignancies. In this case, the “H” appearance of significantly higher 18F-FDG uptake helped to differentiate secondary adrenal involvement from a primary adrenal malignancy.

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Objective: Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the preferred method to distinguish excess unilateral from bilateral aldosterone secretion in patients with primary aldosteronism. Although it is invasive and expensive conventional CT adrenal imaging is considered to be inferior to AVS. To examine whether 128-slice dual-source CT using strict standardized radiological diagnostic criteria may approach the diagnostic performance of AVS. Design and method: From May 2012 to August 2014 we performed both AVS and 128-slice dual-source CT in 50 consecutive patients with PA. AVS was pursued after correction of hypokalemia and adjustment of antihypertensive therapy, under continuous ACTH infusion. Blood samples were taken from both adrenal veins (AV) and the lower caval vein (LCV). Selective cannulation was defined as an AV/LCV ratio for cortisol of ≥3. Lateralization was defined as a dominant/non-dominant ratio for aldosterone-to-cortisol of ≥4. In addition suppression of the contralateral side was required. Computer tomography imaging was performed using 128-slice dual-source CT with a 1mm-thickness slice. As a diagnostic criterion of adrenal nodule on CT-scan a focal change > 7 mm was used. A diffuse thickening of adrenal limbs > 5 mm was thought to fit with adrenal hyperplasia. A unilateral change (adenoma/hyperplasia) was defined as a change within one single adrenal gland with normal contralateral gland. Bilateral abnormalities included bilateral adenomas and/or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. Results: The cannulation failed in 2 (4%) subjects. No complications were observed during and after procedures. Twentythree patients (48%) demonstrated unilateral aldosterone production (14 left-sided, 9 right-sided), and 25 (48%) patients were characterized by bilateral aldosterone production. In 43,8% of the patients there was disagreement between results of AVS vs CT. In 11 subjects (22.9%) a unilateral change was found on CT-scan, while there was no lateralization on AVS. In 7 patients (14,6%) CT–scan revealed bilateral abnormalities or symmetrical normal adrenal glands whereas in AVS unilateral aldosterone secretion was observed. In 2 cases there was complete discordance between the affected sides as diagnosed by CT and AVS. Conclusions: Despite adopting strict radiological criteria to differentiate uni- from bilateral disease, the diagnostic performance of 128-slice dual-source CT-scan is inferior to that of AVS.

Disseminated histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is a worldwide fungal infectious disease caused by inhalation of spores of Histoplasma capsulatum. It may present as chronic pulmonary infection or in disseminated form. Disseminated histoplasmosis frequently affects the adrenal gland; however, unilateral involvement in immunosuppressed patients is the usual presentation. We report a case of an immunocompetent old male with history of weight loss, fever and bilateral adrenal masses. Computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy of adrenal mass revealed histoplasmosis. This case report emphasizes the importance of considering fungal infection as differential diagnoses of mass lesions involving bilateral adrenals even if the patients are immunocompetent, along with the commoner lesions at these sites.

Fluoride-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography in staging and response evaluation of rare case of non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma involving adrenals, liver, and bone

Fluoride-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (FDG PET-CT) is increasingly applied in staging and treatment response assessment of lymphomas. Multiple isolated cases with extranodal involvement of non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL), detected on FDG PET-CT, have been previously reported. Here, we report a rare case of extranodal NHL involving multiple sites namely bilateral adrenals, liver and tibia in addition to supraclavicular, iliac and inguinal lymph nodes on FDG PET-CT and treatment response was assessed in follow-up FDG PET-CT.

Mifepristone Utilization in Cushing’s From Large Bilateral Adrenal Adenoma Prior to Surgery

Utilization of mifepristone was described to mitigate hypercortisolism from bilateral adrenal Cushing’s syndrome. A 47-year-old female on abdominal pain evaluation with CT was found to have a 5.4 × 1.7 × 4.9 cm right adrenal nodule and a 4.3 × 2.9 × 3.3 cm left adrenal nodule with calcification on CT scan with each having density of -3 Housefield units. She had hypercortisolism with testing revealing high urine free cortisol, unsuppressed cortisol on 1 mg and 8 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression testing, high 11 pm salivary cortisol × 2 along with elevated random cortisol and undetectable ACTH. Her DHEA-S, plasma metanephrine, and rostenedione, renin and aldosterone levels were normal. Adrenal venous sampling for lateralization of hypercortisolism source using dexamethasone 2 mg PO Q 6 hours × 1 day, showed adrenal vein epinephrine levels step up > 100 pg/mL, indicating successful catheterization. Each side adrenal vein to vena caval cortisol ratio > 4 was consistent with autonomous cortisol secretion and left to right adrenal cortisol ratio < 2 suggested bilateral adrenal Cushing’s syndrome. She had multiple co-morbidities including uncontrolled hypertension, poor functional status requiring walker and cane, chronic non-healing cellulitis, glucose intolerance and hypokalemia. Mifepristone was initiated for medical management of hypercortisolism prior to surgery, resulting in > 50 lbs weight loss, improved blood pressure, complete healing of chronic lower extremity cellulitis and independent ambulation within 4 months. Initially right adrenal adenoma and then left adrenal adenoma were resected in two separate surgeries and pathology showed bilateral enlarged adrenal glands with multiple adrenocortical nodules without adrenal carcinoma. Mifepristone, FDA approved for inoperable Cushing’s, facilitated pre-surgery optimization by effectively mitigating hypercortisolism. Mifepristone was utilized as a bridge for Cushing’s medical management prior to surgery. J Endocrinol Metab. 2015;5(3):226-228 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jem288w

Autopsy report of disseminated histoplasmosis: An important differential of adrenal enlargement

A 57-year-old diabetic male, presented with altered sensorium since 2 days. He had a history of weight loss, loss of appetite, intermittent low-grade fever of 6 months duration. He had been administered empirical antituberculous therapy some months ago with no alleviation of symptoms. On examination, he was asthenic, normotensive, and anemic with hepatosplenomegaly. Ultra-sonography abdomen revealed bilateral enlarged adrenals with hepatosplenomegaly. Clinically impression was of tuberculosis disseminated malignancy. He expired within 2 days of admission. At autopsy, both the adrenals were markedly enlarged showing extensive areas of necrosis on the cut surface. Histology showed them to be brimming with colonies of yeast-forms of Histoplasma capsulatum. These organisms were also seen in the spleen, lungs and kidneys. The patient had died of septicemia following disseminated histoplasmosis that was, unfortunately, not diagnosed during his life. Histoplasmosis is amenable to treatment with Amphotericin B. Prompt diagnosis and treatment could have helped in salvaging this patient.

Diagnosis and treatment of adrenocorticotrophic hormone-independent macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia: A report of 23 cases in a single center.

The aim of the present study was to present the treatment observations of patients with adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)-independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (AIMAH) from a single medical center. A total of 23 patients with AIMAH were retrospectively reviewed according to the clinical features of the patient. Physical symptoms and biochemical evidence of Cushing’s syndrome (CS) were present in all the cases. High and low dose dexamethasone failed to suppress cortisone secretion on the suppression tests and ACTH levels were low in all the cases. Bilateral enlarged adrenal glands were observed with computed tomography scans in the 23 cases, which were determined to be bilateral adrenal macronodular hyperplasia by pathological analysis. Normal blood pressure was observed in eight patients in the 2–8 years following the bilateral adrenalectomy. A total of 15 cases underwent single side adrenalectomy and their blood pressures markedly decreased three years following surgery; medical treatment was administered to 12 of the 15 patients, while three patients underwent a contralateral adrenalectomy. Nelson’s syndrome was not diagnosed for any of the cases. AIMAH has unique endocrinological, radiological and pathological features, presenting as an independent etiological factor of CS. Diagnosis of AIMAH is usually derived from pathological examination and long term remission may be achieved by unilateral adrenalectomy. Contralateral adrenalectomy should be performed in cases of recurrence, when followed with periodical examination of the symptoms and the serum concentration of cortisol.

Spontaneous rupture of adrenal incidentaloma in a patient with subclinical Cushing’s syndrome, whose clinical expression is metabolic syndrome

A 68-year-old female with enlarged bilateral adrenal glands who was being monitored for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and subclinical Cushing’s syndrome was admitted to our hospital because of rupture of the left adrenal gland. We performed abdominal aortography and embolization of the left middle adrenal artery, and the patient’s pain resolved soon afterwards. After the left adrenal rupture, endocrinological studies still showed subclinical Cushing’s syndrome, and she exhibited no changes in the metabolic disorders. Because she refused removal of the left adrenal gland, we observed her clinical course carefully. One year after the adrenal gland rupture, abdominal computed tomography revealed complete absorption of the retroperitoneal hemorrhage and 131I-adosterol scintigraphy showed a similar result to that previously found. Although adrenal rupture is a rare condition, we should be aware of its possibility during the follow-up of incidental adrenal tumors. Subclinical Cushing’s syndrome has many common features with lifestyle diseases, such as excessive visceral fat, hypertension, metabolic disorders of glucose and lipids. Careful examinations are needed to follow up many patients with lifestyle-related diseases or MetS for a long period.

Cushing syndrome.

Cushing syndrome.

Early postmortem volume reduction of adrenal gland: initial longitudinal computed tomographic study.

We aimed to confirm whether postmortem adrenal volumetric changes occur by measuring adrenal volumes on computed tomography (CT). Fifty-five adrenal glands from 28 subjects who died were included. All subjects underwent antemortem CT (AMCT) and postmortem CT (PMCT) within 94-1,191min after death, followed by conventional autopsy. CT volumetry was performed using freely-available software. Differences between AMCT and PMCT adrenal volumes were evaluated statistically along with differences in the degree of volume change, elapsed time to PMCT, and presence of underlying malignant disease. The mean volume of the right adrenal gland decreased from 3.8cm(3) on AMCT to 2.6cm(3) on PMCT (P<0.001); the left adrenal gland decreased from 4.2cm(3) on AMCT to 3.1cm(3) on PMCT (P<0.001). Conventional autopsy revealed decreased intracellular lipid components in portions of the adrenal glands. No correlation between the adrenal gland reduction rate and the elapsed time from AMCT to death or from death to PMCT was observed (P=0.99 and 0.79; P=0.28 and 0.59 for the right and left adrenal glands, respectively). Significant differences in both the bilateral adrenal gland reduction rates and underlying malignant disease were found for the left adrenal gland (P=0.015), but not for the right (P=0.74). Adrenal volume reduction was observed on PMCT compared to AMCT. This highlights the need to further elucidate the mechanism of adrenal shrinkage during the agonal stage and after death. This may be explained by pathological findings of intracellular lipid depletion.

Bilateral adrenal gland haemorrhage: an unusual cause.

SummaryOur patient had drainage of a large amoebic liver abscess. This got complicated by a severe degree of hypotension, which required aggressive fluid resuscitation and hydrocortisone support. Computerised tomography (CT) of the abdomen revealed bilateral adrenal gland haemorrhage (BAH) resulting in primary adrenal gland failure, which was the cause for hypotension. Patient was on long-term warfarin for provoked deep vein thrombosis of lower limb, which was discontinued before the procedure. Thrombophilia profile indicated the presence of lupus anticoagulant factor with prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). Patient was discharged on lifelong warfarin. This case emphasises the need for strong clinical suspicion for diagnosing BAH, rare but life-threatening condition, and its association with amoebic liver abscess and anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS).Learning points Recognition of BAH as a rare complication of sepsis.APLS can rarely cause BAH.

Pulmonary Mineralization Secondary to Iatrogenic Hyperadrenocorticism in a Dog

An 11-year-old, intact male Shih Tzu presented with obesity, thin hair coat, and abdominal distention. The patient had previously received corticosteroid therapy for dermatitis. Thoracic radiographs showed incidental findings of a generally diffuse bronchointerstitial pattern and markedly radiolucent pleural lines between the middle and caudal lung lobes, but clinical signs related to the thoracic radiographic findings were absent. Echogenicity of the hepatic parenchyma was increased and bilateral adrenal glands were not enlarged on ultrasonography. On computed tomography, the central regions of the lung lobes showed ground-glass attenuation, the peripheral regions of the lung lobes were relatively hypoattenuated compared with the central regions, and hyperattenuated nodules were distributed throughout the pulmonary parenchyma. Iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism and secondary pulmonary mineralization was diagnosed on the basis of diagnostic imaging and adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test.

Anterior panhypopituitarism in diffuse large B-cell stage IV lymphoma

The most common presentation of metastases to the pituitary gland in systemic lymphoma is diabetes insipidus resulting from infiltration of the infundibulum/posterior lobe. We describe a 69-year-old man with diffuse large B-cell stage IV lymphoma who presented with anterior pituitary hypofunction, without features of posterior pituitary involvement. He presented with a few months of postural dizziness and hypotension, weight loss, fever, strabismus of right eye and a superficial abdominal wall mass. At this time he had no history of malignancy. Biochemically he had hypovolemic hyponatremia, secondary hypothyroidism and adrenal insufficiency. Further hormonal work-up revealed panhypopituitarism but no diabetes insipidus. Imaging of the brain, thorax and abdomen demonstrated diffuse intracranial pachymeningeal thickening and enhancement, multiple lymphadenopathies, a bulky right adrenal gland and a large left suprarenal mass, which were indicative of an infiltrative disease. Imaging of the pituitary showed heterogeneous enhancement of the anterior lobe with an unremarkable pituitary stalk and posterior lobe. Biopsy of the superficial abdominal wall mass revealed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma confirmed by bone marrow aspiration biopsy. Positron emission tomography (PET) scan confirmed diffuse systemic disease involving the right orbital apex, bilateral adrenal glands, bone and bone marrow, retroperitoneum and subcutaneous tissues; however, the pituitary gland, infundibulum and hypothalamus did not show any lesions on the PET scan. The patient was commenced on two cycles of chemotherapy but unfortunately died, thus recovery of pituitary function was not tested. Pure anterior pituitary hypofunction can uncommonly present in individuals with metastases to the pituitary gland, in contrast to the more common posterior pituitary/infundibulum involvement.

Clinical characteristics of adrenocorticotropic hormone independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia: a report of 30 cases

To explore the clinical characteristics of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (AIMAH). A total of 30 AIMAH patients from January 2001 to December 2011 at our hospital were reviewed retrospectively and their clinical data collected. AIMAH was equally distributed between genders. Their mean age was 44 ± 9 years and median course of disease 5 years. Hypertension was the most common clinical manifestation. Circadian rhythm of plasma cortisol disappeared in all patients, and the level of 24 hour urinary free cortisol (24 hUFC) was normal only in 4 (13.3%) patients. Both low and high dose dexamethasone suppression tests were not suppressed in 30 (100.0%) and 28 (93.3%) patients respectively. The stimulation tests for detecting aberrant expression of hormone receptors were performed in 14 patients. At least one aberrant cortisol response was identified in 12 patients. Twenty-five patients underwent adrenalectomy. Among 7 patients of bilateral adrenalectomy, 6 achieved remission while 8 patients did so among 14 patients of unilateral adrenalectomy. AIMAH should be considered in patients with massively enlarged bilateral adrenal glands. Treatment modalities should be decided according to clinical manifestations and cortisol level so as to relieve symptoms and improve prognosis.

Prognostic value of semiquantification NP-59 SPECT/CT in primary aldosteronism patients after adrenalectomy

Primary aldosteronism (PA), characterized by an excessive production of aldosterone, affects 5-13 % of patients with hypertension. Accurate strategies are needed for the timely diagnosis of PA to allow curability and prevention of excessive cardiovascular events and related damage. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of semiquantification of (131)I-6β-iodomethyl-norcholesterol (NP-59) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/CT in differentiating aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) from idiopathic adrenal hyperplasia (IAH) and in predicting clinical outcomes after adrenalectomy. We retrospectively reviewed 49 PA patients who had undergone adrenalectomy after NP-59 SPECT/CT within 1 year. A conventional visual scale (VS) and two semiquantitative parameters generated from SPECT/CT, adrenal to liver ratio (ALR) and lesion to contralateral ratio of bilateral adrenal glands (CON), with cutoff values calculated by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, were compared with pathology results and postsurgical outcomes to determine the accuracy. An ALR cutoff of 1.84 and a CON cutoff of 1.15 showed an ability to distinguish adenoma from hyperplasia similar to VS (p = 0.2592 and 0.1908, respectively). An ALR cutoff of 2.28 and a CON cutoff of 1.11 yielded the highest sensitivity and specificity to predict postsurgical outcomes, and an ALR of 2.28 had an ability superior to VS (p = 0.0215), while a CON of 1.11 did not (p = 0.1015). Patients with either ALR or CON greater than the cutoff had a high probability of positive postsurgical outcomes (n = 36/38), while patients with both ALR and CON less than the cutoff had a low probability of positive postsurgical outcomes (n = 2/11). Semiquantification of NP-59 scintigraphy has an ability similar to VS in differentiating APA from IAH, but an excellent ability to predict postsurgical outcomes of adrenalectomy. An ALR or CON greater than the cutoff strongly suggests benefits from adrenalectomy, and both ALR and CON less than the cutoff implies a reduced chance of improvement in postsurgical outcome.

WITHDRAWN: Healthy pregnancy outcome with aggressive emergency management of neuroendocrine tumor in early pregnancy

Abstract Purpose Neuroendocrine tumors adversely affect the pregnancy outcome, if remain undiagnosed or untreated. Management of such a patient is challenging, especially while weighing the advantages and disadvantages of surgical and medical treatment during early pregnancy. The Case We present the case of a pregnant woman who presented to us with hypertension, episodes of headache, sweating and palpitations. On investigation, she was found to have bilateral heterogenous adrenal masses, a hypervascular lesion inferior to the aortic bifurcation, multiple hypervascular masses with calcifications in the pancreas, and thrombosis of the splenic vein. Twenty-four hour urinary metanephrine measured 350μg. Since she was in first trimester of pregnancy and waiting with such extensive disease was not favorable, she was aggressively treated along with urgent surgery in the form of bilateral adrenalectomy, distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy soon after the diagnosis. Histopathological examination of bilateral adrenal glands confirmed pheochromocytoma, tumour from aortic bifurcation showed paraganglioma, and pancreatic mass showed nodules having neuroendocrine morphology and positivity for chromogranin and synaptophysin. Biochemical studies revealed non- functioning nature of pancreatic tumour. She had a normal labor and delivery of a healthy baby. Genetic analysis revealed missense c.499C>T (p.ARG167TRP) mutation in von Hippel Lindau's gene. Principal conclusions Any advantage of delaying the surgery in a pregnant woman diagnosed of neuroendocrine tumours in first trimester should be weighed against potential hazards of long term medical therapy and the disease itself. We emphasize the importance of timely treatment, particularly in multifocal and extensive neuroendocrine tumours disease, for a favorable pregnancy outcome.

Large bilateral adrenal leiomyomas presenting as calcified adrenal masses: a rare case report.

We report the case of a 55-year-old woman with bilateral, large, calcified adrenal tumors who was treated by laparoscopic adrenalectomy. The patient presented with upper abdominal discomfort for the past 5 years. Her imaging showed bilateral enlarged adrenal glands up to 10-cm size with punctate calcifications. Positron emission tomography scan demonstrated moderate fluorodeoxyglucose avidity in the left adrenal mass. Bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed through a transperitoneal approach. The postoperative period was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the third postoperative day. Histology findings were consistent with adrenal leiomyomatosis.

Pituitary and adrenal involvement in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, with recovery of their function after chemotherapy

BackgroundDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma sometimes involves the endocrine organs, but involvement of both the pituitary and adrenal glands is extremely rare. Involvement of these structures can lead to hypopituitarism and adrenal insufficiency, and subsequent recovery of their function is rarely seen. The present report describes an extremely rare case of pituitary and adrenal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma presenting with hypopituitarism and adrenal insufficiency with subsequent recovery of pituitary and adrenal function after successful treatment of the lymphoma.Case presentationA 63-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital due to miosis, ptosis, hypohidrosis of his left face, polydipsia and polyuria. 18F-fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography / computed tomography revealed hotspots in the pituitary gland, bilateral adrenal glands and the apex of his left lung. Surgical biopsy from the pituitary lesion confirmed the diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, with lymphoma cells replacing normal pituitary tissue. Endocrine function tests revealed adrenal insufficiency and panhypopituitarism, including a possible affection of the posterior pituitary. Hormone replacement therapy with desmopressin and hydrocortisone was started. Chemotherapy consisted of six courses of R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin and prednisolone) and two courses of high-dose methotrexate followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Subsequently, his pituitary and bilateral adrenal lesions resolved, and serial endocrine function tests showed gradual improvement in pituitary and adrenal function.ConclusionsThe present report describes an extremely rare case of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with involvement of both the pituitary and bilateral adrenal glands. R-CHOP and high-dose methotrexate therapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was quite effective, and panhypopituitarism and adrenal insufficiency improved to almost normal values after successful treatment of the lymphoma with chemotherapy.

Fetal Adrenal Gland in the Second Half of Gestation: Morphometrical Assessment with 3.0T Post-Mortem MRI

BackgroundThe morphometry of fetal adrenal gland is rarely described with MRI of high magnetic field. The purpose of this study is to assess the normal fetal adrenal gland length (AL), width (AW), height (AH), surface area (AS) and volume (AV) in the second half of gestation with 3.0T post-mortem MRI.Methods and FindingsFifty-two fetal specimens of 23–40 weeks gestational age (GA) were scanned by 3.0T MRI. Morphological changes and quantitative measurements of the fetal adrenal gland were analyzed. Asymmetry and sexual dimorphism were also obtained. The shape of the fetal adrenal gland did not change substantially from 23 to 40 weeks GA. The bilateral adrenal glands appeared as a ‘Y’, pyramidal or half-moon shape after reconstruction. There was a highly linear correlation between AL, AW, AH, AS, AV and GA. AW, AH, AS and AV were larger for the left adrenal gland than the right. No sexual dimorphism was found.ConclusionsOur data delineated the normal fetal adrenal gland during the second half of gestation, and can serve as a useful precise reference for anatomy or in vivo fetus.