Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Although the frequency of adrenal incidentalomas is increasing, they are rarely detected due to lack of imaging during pregnancy. Here, we present a case of adrenal incidentaloma diagnosed during pregnancy. CLINICAL CASE: A 32-year-old female patient was diagnosed with a mass in the liver during obstetric ultrasonography performed in the 4th month of pregnancy and was referred to gastroenterology clinic for further examination, but any additional intervention could not be made because of patient’s refusion. She underwent an emergent caesarean section at 36th weeks of pregnancy. A mass approximately 15 cm in size, thought to be of adrenal origin, was detected in the retroperitoneal area posterior to the liver at the surgery. Abdominal MRI revealed a 188*121*113 mm non-adenomatous lesion, at right adrenal gland, containing cystic necrotic areas, and not suppressed in fat-suppressed series (figure 1A). At initial assesment by endocrinology, the patient denied any paroxysmal or persistent hypertension, weakness, weight gain and hirsutism. Physical examination was found normal, no signs of Cushing’s syndrome was observed. Laboratory testing including 24-hour urine catecholamines, basal cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were in reference ranges. The cortisol levels were supressed following the low-dose dexamethasone test. Adrenal carcinoma was suspected based to radiological features of the lesion. FDG uptake of the mass with a SUVmax: 16.9 was reported at PET-scan (figure 1B). Laparotomy for right adrenal gland was planned, but the patient disapproved once again. She underwent to adrenalectomy 18 months later after the mass was detected. Surprisingly, the pathology resulted as adrenocortical adenoma. Ki67 labeling index was found to be 3-4%, immunohistochemical staining of tissue specimens showed that synaptophysin and chromogranin A negative ( - ), but CD56 positive (++). The patient was lost for approximately 1 year and then aplied to our clinic with another unplanned pregnancy. She is doing well at the 32nd week of her second pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Large and non-adenomatous masses detected during pregnancy are likely to be malignant and these masses are usually known with poor-prognosis. Rarely, as seen in our patient, huge adrenal masses may exhibit a benign behavior compatible with an uncomplicated long process despite suspicious radiological imaging features. [Figure: see text]