[Image diagnosis of adrenal disorders. III. "Nonfunctioning" adrenal adenoma, weak mineralocorticoids producing adrenal carcinoma, congenital adrenogenital syndrome due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency--simple virilizing form, and pheochromocytoma].

The image diagnoses of a case of so-called "nonfunctioning" adrenal adenoma, weak mineralocorticoids producing adrenal carcinoma, congenital adrenogenital syndrome due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency--simple virilizing form--, and 5 cases of pheochromocytoma were studied. In a patient with so-called "nonfunctioning" adrenal adenoma (2.3 X 3.0 X 3.3 cm), in which steroids biosynthesis was confirmed, computed tomography (CT) delineated the tumor shadow with extremely low density, and ultrasonography (US) demonstrated the round tumor echo with homogenous and low echogenicity at the superior region of the right renal pole. Adrenal scintigraphy also showed the tumor image. A weak mineralocorticoids-producing left adrenal carcinoma (3.5 X 3.5 X 3.0 cm) was shown as a heterogenous round tumor at the left lateral portion of the vertebra by CT. On adrenal scintigraphy under dexamethasone pretreatment, there was good uptake in the tumor and disappearance of the contralateral. Both bilateral adrenal images on CT in a patient with congenital adrenogenital syndrome were linear-shaped and markedly enlarged. The enlarged right adrenal was clearly demonstrated by US with an electronic sector scanner but not with an electronic linear scanner, although the left one was hardly shown by either US instruments. Three of 4 patients with pheochromocytomas examined by US were correctly detected, while in the remaining one the tumor image was judged to be a retroperitoneal tumor. CT also correctly demonstrated the former 3 pheochromocytomas, but misjudged the latter one as a pancreatic cancer. Good uptake of Adosterol by bilateral adrenals was shown in a case of extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma. Three of 4 cases of adrenal pheochromocytoma showed the isotope uptake of the contralateral normal adrenal alone. In another case of right adrenal pheochromocytoma, isotope accumulation in the colon obscured whether the isotope uptake in the right adrenal was shown or not.