COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY OF DIFFUSE, NONMETASTATIC ENLARGEMENT OF THE ADRENAL-GLANDS IN PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT DISEASE

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that diffuse non-meta static enlargement of the adrenal glands occurs in patients with malig nant disease. Measurements of the adrenal glands were obtained from co mputed tomographic (CT) images in two groups of patients with malignan t disease (47 patients with lymphoma and 144 patients with other prima ry tumours) and a control group consisting of 55 patients without mali gnant disease. Patients with conditions known to affect the adrenal gl ands were excluded. Adrenal glands with focal mass lesions, as judged by CT, were also excluded. The following measurements were obtained: t he maximum width perpendicular to the long axis of the gland; and maxi mum width of the medial and lateral limbs. There was a statistically s ignificant difference in all measurements between the control group an d the groups with lymphoma and other tumours. No significant differenc e was demonstrated in the size of the adrenal glands in patients with different stages of malignancy. We have shown that the adrenal glands are enlarged in patients with malignant tumours, including lymphoma. W e believe that this enlargement is due to adrenal hyperplasia rather t han to metastatic neoplasm.