[131I-cholesterol scanning of the adrenals: results in various adrenal diseases, especially unilateral adrenal turmours (author's transl)].

133I-cholesterol scanning of five patients with primary hyperaldosteronism due to adrenocortical adenoma, gave correct lateralization and localization in three, while in two cases lateralization was not definitively determined. In two patients with phaeochromocytoma unilateral localization was clear-cut in the scan. In two patients with hormone-producing adrenal carcinoma the adrenals were localized poorly or not at all on both sides, because of the size of the tumours and suppression of the healthy contralateral adrenal by the autonomous hormone production. In case of retroperitoneal tumour with destruction of the adrenal the scan demonstrated a hyperplastic but healthy adrenal on the other side. Because 133I-cholesterol scanning exposes the steroid-producing gonads to high radioactivity, the method should only be used for diagnosing which side a unilateral adrenal tumour is on. It should not be used to complement a diagnosis of bilateral adrenal disease achieved by other means.