Abstract
Adrenal glands are usually not included objects of ordinary multi-phasic health testing system. Whereas, it is sometimes experienced that an adrenal abnormal lesion is detected during the health checkup unexpectedly. Between 1995 and 2002, we have examined 79, 051 people in our health care center and found only 5 adrenal abnormal-ities, 3 adrenal tumors, l calcification and 1 cystic lesion by abdominal utrasonographic (US) study.
The frequency of detecting adrenal abnormalities in our center was about 0.015%. There were no difference of frequency between female and male and also their site of lesion.
They have no symptoms and their laboratory data showed no special abnormalities. The mean size of four adrenal incidentalomas (except one calcification case), was 49 ± 14 mm (mean ± SD) . Among these 5 cases, case 1 showed unusually large (70 mm in diameter) cystic lesion, and was the first experience for us. This case had undergone precise examinations in the general hospital. The cystic lesion was not enhanced by contrast material in computed tomo-graphic (CT) study. Multiplaner magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) strongly suggested the mass was right adrenal origin, and it showed low intensity in T1 weighted and high intensity in T2 weighted method. The mass had a thin wall and a homogenous content. All these results suggested that the mass was an uncomplicated adrenal cyst except its size, therefore careful observation was decided to continue without doing any more invasive examinations.
