What is an incidentaloma What might an adrenal incidentaloma represent?

What is an incidentaloma What might an adrenal incidentaloma represent?

An adrenal incidentaloma is an adrenal tumor that is discovered on an imaging test that is being done for a problem unrelated to adrenal disease. Adrenal tumors found as part of the work-up or follow-up of cancer are very likely to be adrenal metastases and do not count as adrenal incidentalomas.

What is Hounsfield attenuation?

The Hounsfield scale is defined as the attenuation value of the X-ray beam in a given voxel, minus the attenuation of water, divided by the attenuation of water, multiplied by 1000.

What is adrenal incidentaloma?

An adrenal incidentaloma is a mass lesion greater than 1 cm in diameter, serendipitously discovered by radiologic examination [1]. This entity is the result of technological advances in imaging such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and their widespread use in clinical practice.

What does adrenal washout mean?

Adrenal washout can be calculated using the density value of an adrenal mass on non-enhanced, portal venous phase and 15 minutes delayed CT scans (density measured in Hounsfield units (HU)). It is primarily used to diagnose adrenal adenoma.

How is adrenal Incidentaloma diagnosed?

An adrenal incidentaloma is an unsuspected tumor in one or both of your adrenal glands. This type of tumor is usually found by chance during an imaging test, such as an ultrasound or CT scan, for another condition.

What is pituitary Incidentaloma?

Pituitary incidentaloma is defined as a previously unsuspected pituitary lesion that is discovered on imaging study performed for an unrelated reason in a patient with no obvious symptoms to suggest pituitary disease.

What does high Hounsfield unit mean?

Calcification was defined as the presence of prominent high-density spots or plaques. Maximum Hounsfield unit values greater than 60 HU were considered to indicate the presence of calcification in ambiguous cases.

What causes adrenal spikes?

Your adrenal glands may start to make too many hormones on their own for unknown reasons. They can also become too active if your pituitary gland makes too much of the hormone ACTH (adrenocorticotropin). Or if tumors in other areas of your body make too much CRH (corticotropin-releasing hormone) or ACTH.

What does washout mean on CT scan?

Washout appearance is defined as a visually assessed temporal reduction in enhancement relative to surrounding liver from an earlier to a later phase, resulting in portal venous or delayed phase hypoenhancement (12).

What are the symptoms of pituitary Microadenoma?

Symptoms of a pituitary microadenoma may include the following:

• Tiredness.
• Headaches.
• Vomiting.
• Dizziness.
• Vision problems.
• Nausea.
• Menstrual or breast changes.
• Unexplained hair growth or loss.

What was the incidentally discovered left adrenal mass?

Figure 1. A 2.1-cm left adrenal mass was discovered incidentally on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Because the mass could not be characterized on the contrast-enhanced CT, this unenhanced CT was performed. It shows that the lesion (arrows) is of low attenuation (6 HU), which is consistent with a lipid-rich adenoma.

How often are adrenal incidentalomas found on CT scans?

Adrenal incidentalomas are found in approximately 3–4% of abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans. It is important to evaluate these incidental adrenal lesions to determine what treatment, if any, is needed and when specialist referral may be necessary.

Why are Incidental adrenal masses important for primary care?

Almost 20% of patients with adrenal incidentalomas have subclinical hormonal abnormalities, which have been associated with an increased risk of metabolic, cardiovascular and bone diseases. 3 Thus, identification of the incidental adrenal lesion provides the primary care physician with an opportunity to undertake early prevention strategies.

How is the Hounsfield unit scale used in radiography?

The Hounsfield unit scale is a semiquantitative method of measuring radiography attenuation. Organs and tissues demonstrate variable attenuation depending on their density.