Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Clinical characteristics of adrenal tumors in children: a retrospective review of a 15-year single-center experience

  • Urology - Original Paper
  • Published:
International Urology and Nephrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

Adrenal tumors are rare in children. The aim of this study is to review and analyze clinical data on the diagnosis and management of adrenal tumors in children.

Methods

Between 2001 and 2015, 48 pediatric patients (<14 years old) admitted to our institute with adrenal tumors were reviewed. Clinical features, imaging studies, surgical approaches, as well as pathological diagnoses were recorded.

Results

The series comprised 28 males and 20 females. Adrenomedullary tumors were 37, including 24 cases of neuroblastoma, 10 cases of ganglioneuroma, 2 cases of ganglioneuroblastoma, and 1 case of pheochromocytoma. Adrenocortical tumors were 10: 9 cases of cortical adenoma and 1 case of cortical cancer. The other one was hematoma. Fever, pain, and abdominal distention were the main clinical manifestations of adrenomedullary tumors, while Cushing syndrome was the most frequent presenting symptom of adrenocortical tumors. Both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a high diagnostic yield. Some patients had an elevated hormone level. Open adrenalectomy was performed in 40 patients (83.3%), while a laparoscopic approach was employed in eight patients (16.7%).

Results

Adrenal tumors in children have various types,as well as clinical manifestations. Imaging and laboratory data could be useful for differentiation of malignant from benign tumor. Final diagnosis depends on pathology. Surgical excision of the adrenal tumors is the standard of care.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Michalkiewicz E, Sandrini R, Figueiredo B et al (2004) Clinical and outcome characteristics of children with adrenocortical tumors: a report from the international pediatric adrenocortical tumor registry. J Clin Oncol 22(5):838–845

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Hevia SM, Abascal JJM, Boix P et al (2010) Management of adrenal mass: what urologists should know. Actas Urol Esp 34(7):586–591

    Google Scholar 

  3. Kerkhofs TM, Roumen RM, Demeyere TB et al (2015) Adrenal tumors with unexpected outcome: a review of the literature. Int J Endocrinol 2015:710514

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Gomha AM, Osman Y, El-Mekresh M, Abou EM, Eraky I (2009) Diagnosis and treatment of adrenal tumors: a single-center experience with 238 cases. Urol Int 83(4):433–437

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Sakoda A, Mushtaq I, Levitt G, Sebire NJ (2014) Clinical and histopathological features of adrenocortical neoplasms in children: retrospective review from a single specialist center. J Pediatr Surg 49(3):410–415

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Mishra A, Mehrotra PK, Agarwal G, Agarwal A, Mishra SK (2014) Pediatric and adolescent pheochromocytoma: clinical presentation and outcome of surgery. Indian Pediatr 51(4):299–302

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Xu X, Sergi C (2016) Pediatric adrenal cortical carcinomas: histopathological criteria and clinical trials. A systematic review. Contemp Clin Trials 50:37–44

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Schulte JH, Eggert A (2015) Neuroblastoma. Crit Rev Oncog 20(3–4):245–270

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Golden SH, Robinson KA, Saldanha I, Anton B, Ladenson PW (2009) Clinical review: prevalence and incidence of endocrine and metabolic disorders in the United States: a comprehensive review. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 94(6):1853–1878

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Lefebvre M, Foulkes WD (2014) Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma syndromes: genetics and management update. Curr Oncol 21(1):e8–e17

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Lalli E, Figueiredo BC (2015) Pediatric adrenocortical tumors: what they can tell us on adrenal development and comparison with adult adrenal tumors. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 6:23

    Google Scholar 

  12. Herneth AM, Grampp S (2002) TH Berquist: MRI of the musculoskeletal system, 4th edn. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia. Eur Radiol 12(7):1865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Sutton MG, Sheps SG, Lie JT (1981) Prevalence of clinically unsuspected pheochromocytoma. Review of a 50-year autopsy series. Mayo Clin Proc 56(6):354–360

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Mihai R (2014) Rare adrenal tumors in children. Semin Pediatr Surg 23(2):71–75

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Xiao XR, Ye LY, Shi LX, Cheng GF, Li YT, Zhou BM (1998) Diagnosis and treatment of adrenal tumours: a review of 35 years’ experience. Br J Urol 82(2):199–205

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Chen QL, Su Z, Li YH, Ma HM, Chen HS, Du ML (2011) Clinical characteristics of adrenocortical tumors in children. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 24(7–8):535–541

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Moreira SG Jr, Pow-Sang JM (2002) Evaluation and management of adrenal masses. Cancer Control 9(4):326–334

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Xiao XR (1992) Diagnosis and treatment of pheochromocytoma. Report of 48 cases. Chin J Surg 30:159–162

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Sasagawa I, Suzuki Y, Itoh K et al (2003) Posterior retroperitoneoscopic partial adrenalectomy: clinical experience in 47 procedures. Eur Urol 43(4):381–385

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Stanford A, Upperman JS, Nguyen N, Barksdale E, Wiener ES (2002) Surgical management of open versus laparoscopic adrenalectomy: outcome analysis. J Pediatr Surg 37(7):1027–1029

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Yankovic F, Undre S, Mushtaq I (2014) Surgical technique: retroperitoneoscopic approach for adrenal masses in children. J Pediatr Urol 10(2):400.e1–2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank our colleagues from the Department of Pediatric Surgery, for their assistance with data collection.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China

    Xiaokun Lin & Congde Chen

  2. Department of Pediatric Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China

    Dazhou Wu & Na Zheng

Authors
  1. Xiaokun Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dazhou Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Congde Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Na Zheng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaokun Lin.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Xiaokun Lin declares that he has no conflict of interest. Dazhou Wu declares that he has no conflict of interest. Congde Chen declares that he has no conflict of interest. Na Zheng declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the ethic committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lin, X., Wu, D., Chen, C. et al. Clinical characteristics of adrenal tumors in children: a retrospective review of a 15-year single-center experience. Int Urol Nephrol 49, 381–385 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-016-1480-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-016-1480-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation