Ectopic adrenocortical adenoma in the renal hilum mimicking a renal cell carcinoma

Abstract

Ectopic adrenocortical tissue can arise along the path of embryonic migration, such as the celiac axis, broad ligament, adnexa of the testis, and spermatic cord. Occasionally, ectopic adrenocortical tissues undergo marked hyperplasia and develop into ectopic adrenocortical adenomas. This report describes the case of a 60-year-old man who was incidentally found to have a lipid-containing mass with early enhancement and delayed washout in the right renal hilum. A renal cell carcinoma was suspected, and robot-assisted partial nephrectomy was performed, but the final diagnosis was an ectopic adrenocortical adenoma. We should include ectopic adrenocortical adenoma in the differential diagnosis when we find a lipid-containing tumor adjacent to the kidney.

ACTH-Independent Cushing’s Syndrome Caused by an Ectopic Adrenocortical Adenoma in the Renal Hilum

“…The common anatomic sites of ectopic adrenal tissue have been published, including the celiac plexus, kidney, broad ligament, epididymis, and testis [ 6 ]. To date, there have been seven cases of ectopic adrenocortical adenoma in the renal hilum reported in the literature [ 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. The patients (three males, four females) ranged in age from 27 to 63 years, with the largest diameter measuring 2.3 to 5.3 cm.…”