Adrenal Tumors in Children
摘要
Adrenal tumors are not very common and comprise of mass arising from adrenal cortex (adrenocortical carcinoma, adenoma) and adrenal medulla (neuroblastoma, pheochromocytoma). Diagnosis of various types of masses arising from adrenal cortex and medulla depend on the clinical features (virilization, hypercortisolism, Cushing syndrome in adrenocortical tumor, hypertension in pheochromocytoma,) and metastatic features (if present). Hormonal investigations include testosterone, androstenedione, and particularly dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (for adrenocortical tumor) and plasma-free metanephrine levels or 24-h urinary metanephrine (for Pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma). The radiology includes CT scan, MRI abdomen and pelvis, bone scan and Chest CT scan (for adrenocortical tumor) and CT scan of abdomen, MRI and few nuclear scintigraphy test of neck, chest abdomen, and pelvis (for pheochromocytoma). The mainstay of the treatment is total surgical excision, both for the adrenocortical tumor and pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma.