BACKGROUND: Many patients undergo abdominal imaging for non-specific symptoms. An increasing number of these patients are discovered to have incidental adrenal or retroperitoneal tumours. Approximately 5% of all incidentally detected adrenal lesions are phaeochromocytomas and 25% of phaeochromocytomas are discovered during imaging studies for unrelated disorders. 10% of phaeochromocytomas are extra-adrenal. METHODS: Retrospective case notes review of three patients with adrenal/retroperitoneal lesions who had percutaneous biopsy before biochemical testing and tertiary referral. FINDINGS: Adrenal/retroperitoneal lesions are still being biopsied without prior biochemical testing. One patient with phaeochromocytoma had a critical event. The others were found to have a phaeochromocytoma and a ganglioneuroma. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of a catecholamine secreting tumour should be considered in adrenal and extra-adrenal retroperitoneal lesions. If a biopsy is planned, rarely required in adrenal lesions, phaeochromocytoma must be excluded by biochemical testing prior to the biopsy to avoid potential life threatening complications.
BACKGROUND: Many patients undergo abdominal imaging for non-specific symptoms. An increasing number of these patients are discovered to have incidental adrenal or retroperitoneal tumours. Approximately 5% of all incidentally detected adrenal lesions are phaeochromocytomas and 25% of phaeochromocytomas are discovered during imaging studies for unrelated disorders. 10% of phaeochromocytomas are extra-adrenal. METHODS: Retrospective case notes review of three patients with adrenal/retroperitoneal lesions who had percutaneous biopsy before biochemical testing and tertiary referral. FINDINGS: Adrenal/retroperitoneal lesions are still being biopsied without prior biochemical testing. One patient with phaeochromocytoma had a critical event. The others were found to have a phaeochromocytoma and a ganglioneuroma. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of a catecholamine secreting tumour should be considered in adrenal and extra-adrenal retroperitoneal lesions. If a biopsy is planned, rarely required in adrenal lesions, phaeochromocytoma must be excluded by biochemical testing prior to the biopsy to avoid potential life threatening complications.
Authors: Rinkesh K Bansal; Narendra S Choudhary; Saurabh K Patle; Amit Agarwal; Gagandeep Kaur; Haimanti Sarin; Rajesh Puri Journal: Indian J Gastroenterol Date: 2018-03-28
Authors: Michaela Kuhlen; Christina Pamporaki; Marina Kunstreich; Stefan A Wudy; Michaela F Hartmann; Mirko Peitzsch; Christian Vokuhl; Guido Seitz; Michael C Kreissl; Thorsten Simon; Barbara Hero; Michael C Frühwald; Peter Vorwerk; Antje Redlich Journal: Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) Date: 2022-06-17 Impact factor: 6.055