Management of Incidental Adrenal Masses: American College of Radiology white paper
Updates to Article Attributes
Body
was changed:
In 2017, the Adrenal Subcommittee of the Incidental Findings Committee of the Incidental Findings Committee of the American College of Radiology published a revised algorithm for the management of incidental adrenal masses in patients who are:
- adults (i.e. 18-year-old or over)
- asymptomatic for adrenal pathology
- referred for imaging for reasons unrelated to adrenal pathology
Summary
- adrenal masses <1 cm do not require further investigation
- incidental masses should be categorised according to diagnostic imaging features, mass size, growth (cf. prior imaging if available) and cancer history
- dedicated adrenal CT is preferred to determine if a 1-4 cm mass, with density >10 HU, is a benign adenoma
- wherever possible, the stability of a lesion should be assessed with any modality that has imaged the adrenals in the past (e.g. chest CT, PET-CT, abdominal US, lumbar spine MRI)
- consider patients’ co-morbidities, life expectancy and ability to receive treatment before recommending further investigation
The algorithm
Incidental, asymptomatic adrenal mass ≥1 cm
Diagnostic benign imaging features
-
myelolipoma or lipid-rich adenoma
- macroscopic fat
- density <10 HU on non-contrast CT
- signal loss compared to the spleen on in-phase and opposed-phase images of a chemical-shift MRI sequence
- cyst
- benign calcified mass e.g. old haematoma or granulomatous infection
- haemorrhage
- normal or benign serum calcium
- no follow-up required
Indeterminate imaging features
Size 1 cm - 4 cm
1. prior imaging
- stable ≥1 year and no biochemical features of functioning adenoma or phaeochromocytoma
- no follow-up
- new or enlarging
- no cancer history
- consider follow-up adrenal CT or resection
- cancer history
- consider biopsy or PET-CT
- no cancer history
2. no prior imaging, no cancer history
- <2 cm
- probably benign, consider 12 month adrenal CT
- 2-4 cm
- adrenal CT
3. no prior imaging, with cancer history and isolated adrenal mass
- adrenal CT
Size >4 cm
- with no cancer history
- consider resection
- with cancer history
- consider biopsy or PET-CT
Adrenal CT
- reduced dose non-contrast CT ≤10 HU and no biochemical features of functioning adenoma or phaeochromocytoma
- benign adenoma, no follow-up
- non-contrast CT >10 HU
-
adrenal CT washout
- no enhancement (<10 HU) = cyst or haemorrhage
- benign, no follow-up
- absolute percentage washout (APW) / relative percentage washout (RPW) ≥60/40%
- and no biochemical features of hyperfunctioning adenoma or phaeochromocytoma
- benign adenoma, no follow-up
- APW/RPW <60/40%
- imaging follow-up, biopsy, PET-CT or resection depending on clinical scenario
- no enhancement (<10 HU) = cyst or haemorrhage
-
adrenal CT washout
-<p>In 2017, the <strong>Adrenal Subcommittee</strong> of the <strong>Incidental Findings Committee</strong> of the <strong>American College of Radiology </strong>published a revised algorithm for the <strong>management of incidental adrenal masses</strong> in patients who are:</p><ul>- +<p>In 2017, the Adrenal Subcommittee of the Incidental Findings Committee of the <strong><a title="American College of Radiology" href="/articles/american-college-of-radiology">American College of Radiology</a> </strong>published a revised algorithm for the <strong>management of incidental adrenal masses</strong> in patients who are:</p><ul>