Cysts of the adrenal gland.

3 cases of adrenal cysts are reported. The incidence of cyst originating in the adrenal gland was found to be 0.02-0.06% in autopsies. Adrenal cysts are usually symptomless making the diagnosis difficult. The cases described here were diagnosed and removed at operation. One of them was associated with hypertension, and another with pregnancy, considered to be exceptional. Two of these cysts were calcified. All of them were benign. The definite preoperative diagnosis is difficult and the surgical procedure recommended is resection of the cyst with preservation of as much adrenal tissue as possible if malignancy is excluded by frozen section. Since the number of operated cases diagnosed preoperatively are too small, the possibility of treating adrenal cyst by percutaneous aspiration and injection of opaque material to eventually avoid surgery could not be established.