Possibilities of radiological methods in diagnostics of adrenal tumors

The aim - to assess the possibilities of ultrasound and computed tomography in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of adrenal tumors. Results of the study. The paper analyzes the possibilities of ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of various nosological forms of adrenal tumors in 54 patients. As according to US and CT the large size of tumors were characterized to pheochromocytoma (PCHC) (78,5 ± 5,3 - 75,6 ± 6,3 mm), small and medium - to corticosteroma (CS) (45,2 ± 2 6 - 45,6 ± 4,3 mm) and aldosteroma (AS) (46,2 ± 7,1 - 45,9 ± 5,4 mm). Adrenocortical tumors were characterized mostly by round or oval shape, to pheochromocytoma in most cases - wrong rounded shape. These morphometric parameters like irregular contours, heterogeneity of structure and presence of inclusions in the structure of tumor was characterized mainly for pheochromocytoma, whereas tumors of the adrenal cortex these signs were absent. Statistically significant differences in density of PCHC (+ 24,2 ± 2,3 UH), CS (+ 13,4 ± 0,3 UH) and the AS (+ 5,1 ± 0,2 UH) in native mode and contrasting (PCHS - + 41,5 ± 6,1 UH; CS - 18,6 ± 0,9 UH; AS - + 12,1 ± 0,4 UH), as well as the time difference of contrast washout (in pheochromocytoma 14,7 ± 0 5 min. at corticosteroma 8,7 ± 0.4 min., and at aldosteroma 6,2 ± 0,4 min.). Due to the small size of the tumor, obesity and meteorism ultrasound was not informative in 3 cases. In all cases, CT permit to determine the location of the tumor definitely and to differentiate their various nosological forms significantly. Conclusion. Ultrasound and CT in the detection and differentiation of adrenal tumors showed high sensitivity and specificity, and the comparison of different clinical signs of adrenal tumors with the revealed CT signs can more accurately suggest adrenal tumor morphology and to be clinically significant in the choice of further treatment approach.