Marion H. Brooks

Incidental Asymptomatic Adrenal Masses Detected by Computed Tomographic Scanning

Until recently, adrenal masses came to clinical attention either from local symptoms due to massive enlargement or from manifestations of excess hormones production. During the last year, an adrenal mass was identified as an incidental finding in nine patients undergoing abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scanning for unrelated problems. These five men and four women ranged in age from 41 to 73 years. Eight were hypertensive. After the CT scan, each was evaluated for catecholamine or steroid hypersecretion. Only one had clearly elevated urinary vanillylmandelic acid, metanephrine, and catecholamine levels. Equivocal evidence of catecholamine excess was seen in five patients who had slight elevation of one urinary metabolite or of plasma epinephrine or norepinephrine levels. Three patients had no evidence of medullary or cortical hyperfunction on repeated testing. Eight patients were good operative risks and underwent unilateral adrenalectomy without complication. Masses ranging in size from 1 to 4 cm were found in each. These included four cortical adenomas, two adrenal cysts, one adrenal lipoma, and one pheochromocytoma. The pheochromocytoma occurred in the patient with strong biochemical evidence of disease. With wider application of CT imaging, increasing numbers of asymptomatic adrenal masses will be detected. Care in interpreting the clinical significance of these masses and caution in recommending treatment are required.

Free Thyroxine Concentrations in Thyroid Storm

Total serum thyroxine concentrations, the dialyzable fractions of total thyroxine, and absolute free thyroxine concentrations were measured in six patients with thyroid storm, in 15 patients with uncomplicated thyrotoxicosis, and in 19 normal subjects. Total thyroxine concentrations were similar in both thyrotoxic groups. However, the mean dialyzable fraction of thyroxine and the mean free thyroxine concentration was significantly higher in patients with thyroid storm than in patients with uncomplicated thyrotoxicosis (0.060 +/- 0.017% versus 0.026 +/- 0.006% and 10.9 +/- 3.8 ng/dL versus 4.7 +/- 1.4 ng/dL, respectively). These findings suggest that events precipitating thyroid storm may act with thyrotoxicosis to decrease thyroxine binding markedly and result in a sharp increase in free thyroxine concentration. These phenomena may play a role in the pathogenesis of thyroid storm.

Hypophysial tuberculoma with hypopituitarism

Abstract In this patient with a caseating pituitary tuberculoma the diagnosis of hypopituitarism was established antemortem by modern tests of pituitary function. Pituitary tuberculoma is rare and may resemble pituitary adenoma. Tuberculoma should be considered in patients with hypopituitarism or enlargement of the sella turcica, or both, who have or have had tuberculosis of any site. Antituberculous therapy should be instituted in such patients, especially when surgery is contemplated.

Familial thyroid hormone resistance

Eight patients with thyroid hormone resistance were found in four generations of a kindred containing 19 members. Results of studies in this family are consistent with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance for this disorder. The affected family members were clinically euthyroid but all had goiters and markedly increased serum thyroid hormone levels: thyroxine (T4) = 21.1 +/- 2.1 microgram/dl; triiodothyronine (T3) = 323 +/- 60 ng/dl; free T4 = 5.4 +/- 0.9 ng/dl; and free T3 = 1,134 +/- 356 pg/dl (mean +/- SD). Serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels were normal or slightly elevated in six patients and responded normally to the administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and L-triiodothyronine. Two patients who had previously undergone subtotal thyroidectomy had elevated baseline serum TSH levels and exaggerated TSH responses to the administration of TRH suggesting subclinical hypothyroidism despite elevated total and free thyroid hormone levels. The absence of thyrotoxicosis and normal serum TSH levels despite elevated serum free T3 and T4 levels in the untreated members of this family are consistent with resistance of pituitary and peripheral tissues to the actions of thyroid hormones. In addition, the absence of hypothyroidism and normal responsiveness of serum TSH to TRH and L-triiodothyronine administration in untreated family members suggest that the thyroid has compensated for the hormone resistance by increased secretory activity under the control of pituitary TSH secretion.

Prior irradiation and the development of coexistent differentiated thyroid cancer and hyperparathyroidism

Twelve patients with coexistent well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma and primary hyperparathyroidism were studied to determine the frequency of previous radiation exposure. Eight were found to have received prior irradiation. External radiation was administered to the head and neck region for benign conditions such as tonsillar enlargement, acne, scrofula, and thyroid enlargement. One patient received 131I therapy for carcinoma of the thyroid. The observation that 67% of the patients in this series had previous radiation to the head and neck strongly implicates radiation exposure in the development of coexistent well‐differentiated thyroid carcinoma and hyperparathyroidism.

Unexpected parathyroid disease discovered at thyroidectomy in irradiated patients

Eight of 23 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for radiation-associated nodular thyroid disease were found to have unsuspected parathyroid hyperplasia or adenoma at operation. The total serum calcium level was normal preoperatively in each patient. Serum ionized calcium and parathyroid hormone levels were measured in five patients preoperatively and were normal in each case. These pathologic findings in normocalcemic patients may represent a preclinical form of hyperparathyroidism, which would be further evidence linking radiation to the pathogenesis of hyperparathyroidism. The parathyroid glands should be evaluated both pre-operatively and at operation in all patients who have a history of radiation and require thyroidectomy.

Cushing’s Disease: The Role of Adrenalectomy and Autotransplantation

Although the authors reaffirm the place of bilateral adrenalectomy as the cornerstone of treatment for Cushing’s disease, they deplore the permanent adrenal insufficiency it engenders. In this article they describe the new technique of autotransplant of adrenal cortical tissue, which they have used successfully to alleviate adrenal insufficiency.

The effect of fine-needle aspiration biopsy on the thyroid scan

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the most sensitive and specific procedure in diagnosing benign from malignant thyroid nodular disease. The effects of a FNAB on the thyroid scan, however, have never been studied. This assumes importance because a hot nodule on scan has been advocated as useful to differentiate certain benign from malignant follicular neoplasms. Thyrold scans were performed before and after FNAB on 11 patients with nodular thyroid disease and an area of normal or increased uptake either in the nodule or in a contralateral enlarged lobe to determine if the blopsy changed the pattern of isotope uptake. For this study, biopsies were done in the area of normal or increased uptake. In two patients, there was a reduction in isotope concentration in three nodules after FNAB, whereas no change was demonstrable in nine other patients. Review of the literature revealed a number of prior reports of hemorrhage, necrosis, or infarction of thyroid nodules after FNAB. Based on these data and the demonstration of a change in scan pattern in a patient following FNAB, it is concluded that FNAB may decrease the isotope uptake in thyroid nodules; therefore, the concept of clinical judgments being based on the scan pattern after FNAB should be reevaluated.

Neonatal hyperthyroidism following intrauterine hypothyroidism

An infant, whose mother was treated for thyrotoxicosis during pregnancy, appeared normal at birth, but laboratory data were indicative of hypothyroidism. On the sixth day of life the infant had clinical and laboratory evidence of hyperthyroidism. A plan of management is proposed for infants born to thyrotoxic mothers.

A SPURIOUS MARKEDLY INCREASED SERUM ESTRADIOL LEVEL DUE TO AN IgA LAMBDA

OBJECTIVE To alert physicians about the potential for erroneous laboratory determinations of hormone levels and emphasize the need to assess the overall clinical situation as well. METHODS We present a case report of a woman with a dramatically increased serum estradiol (E(2)) level on radioimmunoassay and review the studies that led to the conclusion that this laboratory finding did not reflect her true estrogen status. RESULTS In a 41-year-old woman, an unnecessary surgical procedure was performed because of a falsely increased serum E(2) level and a unilateral ovarian mass. The markedly increased serum E(2) measured by radioimmunoassay was found to be attributable to an IgA lambda that bound to the 125 I-labeled tracer of the assay. CONCLUSION When repeatedly abnormal hormone levels and the clinical picture seem discrepant, use of a different assay method should be considered.