CT FINDINGS SCORE FOR DIFFERENTIATING ADR ENAL-TUMORS IN PATIENTS WITH EXTRAADRENAL MALIGNOMAS

Purpose: In a retrospective study the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography for the differentiation of benign from malignant adrenal ma sses in patients with extra-adrenal malignancies was evaluated. For th is differentiation a new score system was tested. Patients and methods : Size, density, structure, and borders of adrenal masses in 60 patien ts with extra-adrenal tumours were analysed and scored. The single cri teria and the total score values were correlated with the final diagno sis achieved either by histology or by follow-up CT examinations. Resu lts: Score values above 4 indicated always metastases and score Values below 2 were benign lesions. An overlap occurred at score values betw een 2 and 3 resulting in an overall accuracy of 83,3 %. Conclusion: Si ngle CT criteria are not reliable enough to differentiate benign from malignant adrenal lesions; better results are achieved by using our sc oring system.