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Oncocytic adrenal cortical tumor with cytoplasmic inclusions and hyaline globules

Virchows Archiv volume 453, pages 301–306 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Adrenal cortical tumors, particularly oncocytic tumors, have been reported to contain a variety of intracytoplasmic and intramitochondrial inclusions. Oncocytic cortical tumors can also morphologically mimic pheochromocytomas. We report an unusual, partially oncocytic cortical neoplasm with nesting architecture, intranuclear inclusions, and hyaline globules reminiscent of pheochromocytoma, together with numerous, small, brightly eosinophilic, periodic acid-Schiff-positive cytoplasmic inclusions and typical cytoplasmic lipid droplets. Ultrastructural study revealed oncocytes containing numerous mitochondria with intramitochondrial crystals and lipid droplets. Immunohistochemistry and immunoblots were utilized to further characterize the tumor. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated immunoreactivity of both the eosinophilic inclusions and the hyaline globules for adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP), which is one of a group of proteins associated with storage of neutral lipids in many cell types. Immunoblots confirmed the presence of ADRP and demonstrated an imbalance between ADRP and perilipin, another neutral lipid-associated protein, in tumor tissue compared to normal adrenal cortex. The findings suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction in oncocytic cortical tumors may lead to abnormal processing of proteins related to the lipid-storing functions of the adrenal cortex, resulting in unusual cytoplasmic inclusions and extracellular globules resembling the globules in pheochromocytomas. The finding of ADRP as a constituent of inclusions in adrenal cortical tumors has not been previously reported.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Inna Lomakina for her technical help with the electron microscopic sample.

Conflict of Interest Statement

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Tufts Medical Center, #802, 750 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02111, USA

    Tariq Al-Zaid, Joseph Alroy, Rolf Pfannl, James F. Powers & Arthur S. Tischler

  2. Department of Urology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Andrey Layer & Gennaro Carpinito

  3. Section of Pathology, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Grafton, MA, USA

    Joseph Alroy

  4. Obesity and Metabolism Laboratory, Human Nutrition Research Center, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA

    Katherine J. Strissel

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  1. Tariq Al-Zaid
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  2. Joseph Alroy
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  3. Rolf Pfannl
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  4. Katherine J. Strissel
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  5. James F. Powers
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  6. Andrey Layer
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  7. Gennaro Carpinito
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  8. Arthur S. Tischler
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Correspondence to Joseph Alroy.

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Al-Zaid, T., Alroy, J., Pfannl, R. et al. Oncocytic adrenal cortical tumor with cytoplasmic inclusions and hyaline globules. Virchows Arch 453, 301–306 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-008-0634-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-008-0634-5

Keywords

  • Adrenal cortex
  • Oncocytoma
  • Inclusions
  • Adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP)