DEOXYCORTICOSTERONE-SECRETING ADRENOCORTICAL CARCINOMA

A case of DOC-secreting adrenocortical carcinoma in a 66-year-old man is reported. He had hypertension, hypokalemia, suppressed PRA, and exc essive serum levels of DOC. His serum aldosterone level was normal. Th e resected adrenal mass weighed 230 g. Histologically, the tumor was m ainly composed of compact cells associated with necrosis and atypical mitoses. Invasion of venous structure, sinusoids, and capsule was also present. Immunohistochemically, P450 C21(21-hydroxylase) was positive in many tumor cells, and P450 C17(17 alpha-hydroxylase) was intensely positive in a relatively small number of tumor cells. The patient die d 9 months after operation due to rupture of metastatic liver tumor.