The adrenal incidentaloma. A pediatric perspective.

Abstract

In our commentary, we have reviewed the literature on adrenal incidentalomas and specifically have tried to relate it to the pediatric population. The studies of others have shown that adrenal tumors are very common in patients with CAH (homozygote and heterozygote) and that these tumors are very rarely malignant and therefore should not routinely be surgically removed. In fact, we suggest that only under very rare circumstances is surgical removal justified. Perhaps, in the future, biochemical markers will allow us to distinguish between adrenal adenomas and carcinomas. We have tried to give broad guidelines for the care of patients with CAH with adrenal tumors, but these are guidelines only--they are not laws chiseled in stone. Finally, as radiological imaging is done more frequently and becomes even better at finding small adrenal tumors, this general topic will become increasingly relevant. We hope our thoughts will lead to lively discussion and useful studies in this "newly discovered" medical dilemma.