Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Dramatically with increased use of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), more and more uncommon adrenal masses have been detected at abdominal examinations. Adrenal cavernous hemangiomas (ACH) are rare vascular tumor. The first case report was published in 195 by Johnson and Jeppesen. Approximately less than 70 cases were reported in the literature to date.

ACH are nonfunctioning benign tumors that is often discovered incidentally. They are more frequent in women in the 5th or 7^th decade. Their differential diagnosis preoperatively is rather challenging.

These tumors are unilateral lesions in general large and most usually cavernous. All cases reported were treated with surgery.

Case report: We describe two cases of ACH in a 66 years old woman and a 36 years old men. In the first case ACH was discovered as incidentaloma and in the second it was revealed by flank pain.

The diagnostic was performed on ultrasonography. Because of the impossibility of ruling out the presence of malignancy (CT, MRI), surgical adrenalectomy was performed. The patients did well postoperatively. Pathological examination revealed that the adrenal masse corresponded to an ACH.

Discussion: ACH is an uncommon benign vascular tumor. These rare tumors usually localized in the liver and the skin. Adrenal site is extremely rare occurring only in 0.01% of cases and accounts for 63 reported cases in the literature.

ACH are often discovered as incidentalomas either by imaging studies or histologic examination.

The indications for resection of this neoplasm particularly in tumours more than 3 cm in diameter are to relieve the mass-effect-type symptoms, to exclude malignancy, and to treat complications such as haemorrhage, necrosis and thrombosis.