Addison's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Addison's Disease, including details on chronic adrenal insufficiency, treatment, causes, medication.

Laparoscopic Bilateral Partial Adrenalectomy for Adrenocortical Adenomas Causing Cushing's Syndrome: Report of a Case.

Inoue T, Ishiguro K, Suda T, Ito N, Suzuki Y, Taniguchi Y, Ohgi S

Division of Organ Regeneration Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, Tottori, 683-8504, Japan.

Laparoscopic total adrenalectomy has become a standard technique for small adrenal tumors; however, bilateral adrenalectomy results in postoperative adrenal insufficiency, necessitating lifelong steroid replacement. To preserve adrenocortical function in a 41-year-old woman with bilateral adrenocortical adenoma (BAA) causing Cushing's syndrome, we performed laparoscopic bilateral partial adrenalectomy. We based our preoperative diagnosis of bilateral adrenocortical tumors causing Cushing's syndrome on the results of endocrinological investigations and imaging findings. Thus, we performed lateral transperitoneal laparoscopic bilateral partial adrenalectomy, preserving the adrenal glands, which were normal. Pathological examination of both tumors confirmed the diagnosis of adrenocortical adenoma. The patient had no postoperative complications, and her adrenocortical function was normal without steroid replacement at her 10-month follow-up. This report shows that Cushing's syndrome resulting from bilateral adenomas can be effectively treated by laparoscopic bilateral partial adrenalectomy as a minimally invasive, adrenocortical-preserving operation.

Published 26 December 2005 in Surg Today, 36(1): 94-7.
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