Diagnosis and management of adrenal cortical carcinoma

Adrenal cortical carcinoma: pathology, genomics, prognosis, imaging features, and mimics with impact on management

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis. Most tumors are either metastatic or locally invasive at the time of diagnosis. Differentiation between ACC and other adrenal masses depends on clinical, biochemical, and imaging factors. This review will discuss the genetics, pathological, and imaging feature of ACC.

Clinicopathological Features Associated With the Prognosis of Patients With Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma: Usefulness of the Ki-67 Index

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare tumor with a poor prognosis. Identification of clinicopathological features and molecular prognostic markers is important for the treatment of ACC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and histopathological features of ACC for prognostic prediction.This retrospective cohort study included 86 patients pathologically confirmed with ACC in a single center. Ki-67 index was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining of paraffin-embedded samples.The median age of the 86 (46 male and 40 female) patients with ACC was 49 years old (range 21-78), and the mean primary tumor size was 12.2 ± 5.2 cm. ACCs were incidentally found in 29 patients (34%). Three patients (3%) had bilateral ACC, and 59 patients (69%) had distant metastasis (37 synchronous and 22 metachronous). Twenty-four patients (28%) had symptoms from hormone excess or mass effects, and 25 patients (29%) had nonspecific symptoms. The 5-year survival rate for ACC was 28%. Sixty patients underwent surgical treatment, including 37 patients with an R0 resection. Tumor size, Ki-67 index, stage, and resection status were independently associated with overall survival by multivariate analysis. In patients with R0 resection, recurrence was significantly associated with larger tumor size and functional tumor.Tumor size, Ki-67 index, stage, and resection status are important prognostic indicators of survival in ACC patients.

Adrenocortical carcinoma: a comprehensive immunohistochemical study of 40 cases

Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) are uncommon tumors of the adrenal cortex that are known to follow an aggressive clinical course. The distinction of these tumors from other neoplasms may sometimes prove difficult due to overlapping clinical, morphologic, and even immunophenotypical features. To this end, we performed a comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis using traditional and novel markers in 40 cases of ACC. An immunohistochemical panel consisting of 10 traditional and novel antibodies was applied to whole tissue sections of ACC including high-molecular weight cytokeratin (HMWCK), low-molecular weight cytokeratin (CAM5.2), inhibin-α, melan A, chromogranin A, synaptophysin, calretinin, steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1), Pax8, and Ki67. The percentage of positive tumor cells as well as the intensity of staining were evaluated and scored; for Ki67 the percentage of positive tumor cells was recorded. Positive staining was observed for SRC-1 (39/40; 97.5%), inhibin-α (37/40; 92.5%), calretinin (32/40; 80%), synaptophysin (29/40; 72.5%), melan A (26/40; 65%), and CAM5.2 (9/40; 22.5%). Rare cases showed positivity for chromogranin A (2/40; 5%) and Pax8 (1/40; 2.5%). None of the cases showed any reactivity with HMWCK. The Ki67 index ranged from <5% to 20%. We conclude that there is no single specific marker to reliably distinguish ACC from other primary or metastatic neoplasms. However, a combination of immunohistochemical stains in a panel consisting of SRC-1, inhibin-α, calretinin, and HMWCK may be of aid in the differential diagnosis of these tumors. In addition, Pax8 is only rarely positive in ACC, which is a useful tool in their separation from renal neoplasms.

Primary rhabdoid adrenocortical carcinoma: a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study of three cases

AIMS

We describe three cases of primary adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) with prominent rhabdoid features and study their clinicopathological and immunohistochemical properties.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The patients were three females aged 45-55 years (mean 49 years), none of whom had any hormone-related symptoms. Histologically, the characteristic features were rhabdoid tumour cells with prominent eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions, eccentric vesicular nuclei and prominent nucleoli. Areas of more conventional ACC were present in all cases. Immunohistochemically, the rhabdoid component showed a similar staining pattern to conventional ACC, being positive for steroid receptor cofactor 1, inhibin, melan A, calretinin and synaptophysin, while negative for high molecular weight cytokeratin and Pax8. In addition, antimitochondrial antibodies showed a weak reaction and nuclear expression of integrase interactor 1 (INI1) was preserved. Clinical follow-up information for two patients demonstrated that one patient was alive 237 months after diagnosis, and one patient had died of disease 4 months after diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

ACC with rhabdoid features are rare tumours that seem to mirror the clinical and immunohistochemical features of conventional ACC. In addition, they appear to display similar biological behaviour. Adrenocortical carcinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis when evaluating tumours of unknown origin with rhabdoid morphology.

Surgical management and clinical prognosis of adrenocortical carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To study the relationship between surgical management and prognosis of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) in order to guide the surgical management of ACC.

METHODS

Clinical data of 45 cases of ACC treated in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The 45 cases included 3 cases in stage I, 12 cases in stage II, 7 cases in stage III, and 23 cases in stage IV. 17 cases underwent complete excision, 14 cases underwent palliative excision, 8 cases had non-operative treatment and 6 cases gave up treatment. All patients were followed up from 2 to 141 months.

RESULTS

The average survival time of 31 patients with surgery was 32.46 months, and the average survival time of 14 patients without surgery was 4.75 months. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in survival time in stage III and stage IV (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgery is considered to be the only method to cure ACC. For ACC in stage I and II, tumor resection is the most effective treatment, and second surgical operation is recommended for local recurrence. For ACC in stage III, extensive surgical operation is recommended, and for ACC in stage IV, surgical operation has no effect on the prognosis.

Clinical and imaging overview of functional adrenal neoplasms

Adrenal adenoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma are four discrete adrenal neoplasms that have the potential for functional activity. Functional adrenal neoplasms can secrete cortisol, aldosterone, sex hormones or catecholamines. These heterogeneous groups of tumors show varied biological behavior and clinical outcomes. These neoplasms are encountered with increasing clinical frequency as a result of an expansion in the volume of medical imaging carried out. The clinical presentation, including prognosis and treatment options, and the imaging features of these neoplasms are discussed. The key radiological observations of each of these neoplasms are shown using multimodality images. Familiarity with the clinical and imaging features of these neoplasms improves diagnosis, and facilitates appropriate clinical decision-making and patient management.

Clinicopathological study of a series of 92 adrenocortical carcinomas: from a proposal of simplified diagnostic algorithm to prognostic stratification

AIMS

Pathological diagnosis of adrenocortical carcinoma relies on several microscopic features commonly used in combination in different scoring systems that are sometimes subjective and/or time consuming. The aim was to investigate the impact of individual pathological parameters in the diagnosis and prognosis of adrenocortical carcinoma.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The series included 92 malignant cases and a control series of 47 adenomas, all classified according to Weiss score criteria. The presence of disruption of the reticular network, as highlighted by histochemical staining, was present in all adrenocortical carcinomas and the inclusion of at least one of the three following additional parameters - mitotic index >5/50 high-power fields (HPF), presence of necrosis and presence of vascular invasion - gave an algorithm with 100% sensitivity and specificity to recognize malignant tumours according to the Weiss system, with easier and more practical applicability. Moreover, on multivariate analysis, stage III/IV and mitotic count >9/50 HPF showed a strong adverse impact on disease-free and overall survival, leading to the identification of three risk groups affected by a significantly different prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

We have defined an easy-to-perform and highly specific and sensitive algorithm for the diagnosis and prognostic categorization of adrenocortical tumours.

Endobronchial metastasis from adrenocortical carcinoma

Lung parenchymal metastases are common manifestations; however, endobronchial metastasis is rare. We present herein a case of endobronchial metastasis from adrenocortical carcinoma. In the English language literature, this is the first case with such rare metastasis from adrenocortical carcinoma diagnosed antemortem. Although very rare, physicians should keep in mind the possibility of endobronchial metastasis in patients with a history of extrapulmonary malignancy including adrenocortical carcinoma.