Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for solitary metachronous adrenal metastasis from lung cancer: Report of a case

We report herein the case of a 69-year-old man who underwent laparoscopic a drenalectomy for a solitary adrenal metastasis 10 months after a left lower lobectomy for TZN1MO lung cancer. A 30 x 20 mm tumor was found in the left adrenal gland, and dissected using an ultrasonically activated scalpel. Hi stological examination revealed metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. The pat ient recovered uneventfully and his condition is now stable 18 months after the second operation, with no evidence of local recurrence or metastatic d isease, Although laparoscopic resection for malignant adrenal tumors is sti ll controversial, we consider that laparoscopic adrenalectomy may be an opt ional treatment for metastatic adrenal tumors, provided the tumor is solita ry, small in size, and well-localized, To our knowledge, only 14 cases of l aparoscopic adrenalectomy for malignant tumors have been reported to date; however, this is the first case of successful laparoscopic adrenalectomy fo r a metastasis from lung cancer.