This large cohort study shows that the prevalence of CKD in PA was increased after treatment and that higher UAE and lower serum potassium levels at the first visit were predictors of decreasing eGFR after treatment of PA. To prevent a large decrease of eGFR after intervention, PA patients should be diagnosed before evolution to severe albuminuria and hypokalemia.

Adrenal venous sampling is currently the only reliable method to distinguish unilateral from bilateral diseases in primary aldosteronism. In this study, we attempted to determine whether peripheral plasma levels of 18-oxocortisol and 18-hydroxycortisol could contribute to the clinical differentiation between aldosteronoma and bilateral hyperaldosteronism in 234 patients with primary aldosteronism, including CT-detectable aldosteronoma (n=113) and bilateral hyperaldosteronism (n=121), all of whom underwent CT and adrenal venous sampling. All aldosteronomas were surgically resected and the accuracy of diagnosis was clinically and histopathologically confirmed. 18-oxocortisol and 18-hydroxycortisol were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. ROC analysis of 18-oxocortisol discrimination of adenoma from hyperplasia demonstrated sensitivity/specificity of 0.83/0.99 at a cutoff value of 4.7ng/dL, compared to that based upon 18-hydroxycortisol (sensitivity/specificity: 0.62/0.96). 18-oxocortisol levels above 6.1ng/dL and/or of aldosterone above 32.7ng/dL were found in 95 of 113 aldosteronoma patients (84%) but in none of 121 bilateral hyperaldosteronism, 30 of whom harbored CT-detectable unilateral nonfunctioning nodules in their adrenals. In addition, 18-oxocortisol levels below 1.2ng/dL, the lowest in aldosteronoma, were found 52 out of the 121 (43%) patients with bilateral hyperaldosteronism. Further analysis of 27 patients with CT-undetectable micro aldosteronomas revealed that eight of these 27 patients had CT-detectable contralateral adrenal nodules, the highest values of 18-oxocortisol and aldosterone were 4.8 and 24.5ng/dL, respectively, both below their cutoff levels indicated above. The peripheral plasma 18-oxocortisol concentrations served not only to differentiate aldosteronoma, but also could serve to avoid unnecessary surgery for nonfunctioning adrenocortical nodules concurrent with hyperplasia or microadenoma.

Objective and design: Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is critical to determine the subtype of primary aldosteronism (PA). Central AVS (C-AVS) -that is, the collection of effluents from bilateral adrenal central veins (CV) -sometimes does not allow differentiation between bilateral aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA) and idiopathic hyperaldosteronism. To establish the best treatment course, we have developed segmental AVS (S-AVS); that is, we collect effluents from the tributaries of CV to determine the intra-adrenal sources of aldosterone overproduction. We then evaluated the clinical utility of this novel approach in the diagnosis and treatment of PA. Methods: We performed C-AVS and/or S-AVS in 297 PA patients and assessed the accuracy of diagnosis based on the results of C-AVS (nZ138, 46.5%) and S-AVS (nZ159, 53.5%) by comparison with those of clinicopathological evaluation of resected specimens.Results: S-AVS demonstrated both elevated and attenuated secretion of aldosterone from APA and non-tumorous segments, respectively, in patients with bilateral APA and recurrent APA. These findings were completely confirmed by detailed histopathological examination after surgery. S-AVS, but not C-AVS, also served to identify APA located distal from the CV. Conclusions: Compared to C-AVS, S-AVS served to identify APA in some patients, and its use should expand the pool of patients eligible for adrenal sparing surgery through the identification of unaffected segments, despite the fact that S-AVS requires more expertise and time. Especially, this new technique could enormously benefit patients with bilateral or recurrent APA because of the preservation of non-tumorous glandular tissue.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) accounts for 20%-25% of breast cancers detected at screening mammography. The lesions are diverse and commonly are classified on the basis of their mammographic features and histologic characteristics such as nuclear grade and presence or absence of necrosis. The most common mammographic finding in DCIS is microcalcifications, but a low-grade lesion without necrosis is less likely to manifest with calcifications than either an intermediate- or a high-grade lesion. Other mammographic findings might include a mass or architectural distortion. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has higher sensitivity than mammography for the detection of DCIS and greater accuracy for depicting the extent of disease. The MR imaging appearance of DCIS depends primarily on the presence and extent of abnormal periductal or stromal vascularity. Nonmasslike enhancement, the most common MR imaging finding, is often seen in association with clumped internal enhancement. The enhancement kinetics in dynamic MR studies vary, and no kinetic pattern is pathognomonic of a particular nuclear grade of DCIS. However, the kinetic pattern at delayed imaging does appear to be correlated with the mammographic findings: Mass lesions show strong washout; fine pleomorphic, fine linear, and fine linear-branching calcifications demonstrate a plateau enhancement pattern; and amorphous calcifications exhibit persistent enhancement. Multidetector computed tomography might be a useful adjunct to MR imaging for preoperative mapping.

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