Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Bilateral adrenal tumours are rare and account for 10–15% of adrenal lesions. They can be infectious, inflammatory, tumour, hémmoragiques, and genetic. The clinical and imaging used to guide diagnosis.

Aim: Assess clinical, etiologic, and therapeutic characteristics of bilateral adrenal masses.

Population and methodology: This is a retrospective study of the records of patients with bilateral adrenal masses collected over 26 years. All patients have benefited from a biological exploration (specific and non-specific) and oriented radiological investigation.

Results: 34 patients were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 45±0.4 years. Sex ratio was 24 men/ten women. Diagnostic circumstances were: a chance discovery 11.8%, exploration of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (n: 44.11%), the staging of thyroid cancer: 17.64%, the exploration of a failure adrenal: 2.94%, 23.51% adrenergic signs. The etiological exploration revealed a bilateral phaeochromocytoma 10 (29.4%), adrenal metastases 8 (23.52%), nodular adrenal hyperplasia 15 (44.1%), and adrenal tuberculosis 1 (2.94%). The surgery was reported in 41.17% (all cases of phaeochromocytoma, nodular adrenal hyperplasia n: 3, suspicious adrenal masses of primitive non-Hodgkin lymphoma n: 1). The intervention was recused in other cases of adrenal metastases. Monitoring was instituted in other cases.

Discussion and conclusion: Bilateral adrenal masses are quite particular entity because of their rarity, their aetiologies and treatment. They must be characterised to be treated effectively. The improvement of radiological techniques and therapeutic modalities have enhanced their management.