Prevalence of adrenal incidentaloma in patients performed thorax computed tomography for suspected COVID-19 infection

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 5, 1105 - 1108, 28.09.2023

Pınar Akhanlı , Sema Hepşen , Sanem Kayhan , Özlem Doğan , Yakup Düzköprü , Erman Çakal

https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1327229

Abstract

Aims: The primary purpose of this study is to make a retrospective evaluation of adrenal incidentaloma (AI) prevalence in patients performed thorax computed tomography (TCT), along with determining whether the diagnosed AIs were assessed functionally for adrenal gland hyperfunction and to detect the rate of hyperfunctional AI.
Methods: The patients who applied to with the suspected COVID-19 and performed TCT between January 2020 and December 2021, were included in the present study. However, the patients who were followed-up due to a known adrenal mass and a malignant tumor were excluded.
Results: TCT imaging, including adrenal glands, was performed on 2580 patients. The mean age for these patients was 54±16.8. However, when the patients were separated into groups in terms of adrenal pathology (AP), the mean age for the patients with and without AP was 61.4±11 and 53.8±16.9, respectively (p<0.001). The number of patients detected with AP, AI, and adrenal hyperplasia was 68 (2.6%), 60 (88.2%), and 7 (10.3%), respectively. The mean mass diameter was 17 (11-41). Bilateral adrenal hyperplasia was not observed in any patients; however, 13 of the patients (18.1%) detected with AI and adrenal hyperplasia were evaluated functionally. Hyperfunction was not observed in any of the assessed patients.
Conclusion: The prevalence of AI found in our study was similar to other studies in the literature; however, functional evaluations of AIs detected via TCT performed due to suspected COVID-19 remained low. Although they are rare, it is important to define whether AIs are functional or malignant due to the comorbid conditions they create. For this reason, we believe patients with AI should be directed to an endocrinology clinic for a practical examination and follow-up plan.

Keywords

Adrenal incidentaloma, adrenal hyperplasia, COVID-19, prevalence

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