Utility of F-18 FDG-PET in detecting primary aldosteronism in patients with bilateral adrenal incidentalomas.

[adrenal incidentaloma]

In patients with primary aldosteronism who have bilateral adrenal incidentalomas , it is important to identify which adrenal gland is secreting excess aldosterone . Traditionally , adrenal vein sampling (AVS ) has been performed for lateralization despite its invasiveness . Here we report a case of bilateral adrenal incidentaloma in which 18 -Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG )-positron emission tomography (PET ) was used to identify the functional adrenal mass . A 53 -yr -old man was referred to our clinic due to bilateral adrenal incidentalomas (right : 1 cm , left : 2 .5 cm ) on computed tomography (CT ). Given his history of colon cancer , FDG-PET /CT scanning was used to rule out metastasis . Although there was focal hot uptake lesion in the right adrenal gland , the patient was suspected primary aldosteronism clinically more than metastasis because of the patient 's underlying hypertension with hypokalemia . It was consistent with the results of AVS . Based on these findings , we propose that FDG-PET /CT can be used instead of AVS to identify the source of primary aldosteronism between two bilateral adrenal incidentalomas .

Diseases
Validation

Diseases presenting "colon cancer" symptom

adrenal incidentaloma

carcinoma of the gallbladder

cholangiocarcinoma

cowden syndrome

esophageal adenocarcinoma

severe combined immunodeficiency

This symptom has already been validated