Case report of a bilateral adrenal myelolipoma associated with Cushing disease

Laparoscopic resection of giant adrenal myelolipoma: A case report with review of literature

Giant adrenal myelolipoma (AML) may cause severe symptoms. In contrast to the previous reports, laparoscopy may play a pivotal role in the management of giant AML. This report aims to discuss a case of giant AML managed successfully by laparoscopy. A 63-year-old male was found to have a giant (12 × 10 × 8 cm) left AML during a workup for left lower chest pain on imaging. laparoscopic excision of a left adrenal gland with the lesion was performed under general anesthesia. The patient was discharged from the hospital after 3 days uneventfully. AML is a benign tumor that is characterized by the presence of adipose tissue and hematopoietic elements. Myelolipomas are typically asymptomatic. AML diagnosis is based on imaging and blood workup. Small asymptomatic AML is usually managed conservatively, while symptomatic AML is managed with surgery. Even though an open approach is the standard option, laparoscopy, as a minimally invasive technique, in some centers may replace laparotomy. Laparoscopy can be a successful method for managing AML, even when they are large in size.

Management of bilateral adrenal myelolipoma without endocrine disorder: About a rare case report

Adrenal gland myelolipomas are benign, hormonally inactive, and mostly asymptomatic and unilateral tumors. However, it could be symptomatic and bilateral in rare cases. The diagnosis is based on a CT scan and a histological study. We present a rare case of a surgically managed bilateral adrenal gland myelolipoma with a giant mass on the left side in a 40-year-old man who presented in our department for atypical abdominal pain. The patient underwent surgical resection of the left adrenal mass. Due to the resolution of the abdominal pain, a close follow-up for the right mass by CT scan was chosen.

Multiple enlarging hepatic and retroperitoneal myelolipomas in the setting of Cushing disease

Myelolipomas are benign tumours typically occurring in the adrenal glands, made up of fat and trilineage haematopoeitic cells resembling bone marrow. Their aetiology is not well understood; however, they have a clear association with elevated serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Extra-adrenal myelolipomas are rare, and to our knowledge there are no previously reported cases of multiple enlarging hepatic and retroperitoneal myelolipomas in the setting of Cushing disease. We present the case of a patient with an ACTH-producing pituitary adenoma who developed multiple enlarging fat containing lesions in the liver and retroperitoneum, which were histologically proven multifocal myelolipomas.

Giant Bilateral Adrenal Myelolipoma: Case Report

Adrenal myelolipomas are nonfunctional tumors that are usually asymptomatic; however, they have been known to coexist with other endocrine disorders, such as Cushing's syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), Conn's syndrome, and pheochromocytoma. We report a case of a 49-year-old man with hypertension and diabetes mellitus who complained of chronic abdominal pain, vomiting, and early satiety. Preoperative contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CECT) was performed, and adrenal myelolipoma was considered, lab investigations revealed a nonfunctional tumor. CECT also revealed bilateral renal cortical cyst, right renal calculi, and hepatic cyst. A left open cortical sparing adrenalectomy was performed, pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis, and a radiological surveillance was planned for the right tumor. Four years following this, the patient came back with a similar presentation. Right adrenalectomy was performed after preoperative workup, and subsequently steroid replacement therapy was initiated. We suggest adequate follow-up of a patient presenting with adrenal myelolipoma and to explore the possibility of establishing a syndromic diagnosis such as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

Adrenal myelolipoma: from tumorigenesis to management

Adrenal myelolipoma (MLS) is a rare, benign and non-functional neoplasm, composed of adipose tissue and myeloid. We report a rare case of adrenal myelolipoma of a 20-year-old female revealed with chronic abdominal pain. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen guided diagnosis and surgical resection was performed given symptomatic and bulky mass. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis. At 18 months after the surgery, the patient had no evidence of recurrence. The diagnosis of MLS is radiological. Therapeutic abstention is the rule for a small, asymptomatic tumor. The surgical removal is indicated when it is bulky (exceeds 7cm), symptomatic or hormonal activity.

Enkephalins and ACTH in the mammalian nervous system

The pentapeptides methionine-enkephalin and leucine-enkephalin belong to the opioid family of peptides, and the non-opiate peptide adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) to the melanocortin peptide family. Enkephalins/ACTH are derived from pro-enkephalin, pro-dynorphin or pro-opiomelanocortin precursors and, via opioid and melanocortin receptors, are responsible for many biological activities. Enkephalins exhibit the highest affinity for the δ receptor, followed by the μ and κ receptors, whereas ACTH binds to the five subtypes of melanocortin receptor, and is the only member of the melanocortin family of peptides that binds to the melanocortin-receptor 2 (ACTH receptor). Enkephalins/ACTH and their receptors exhibit a widespread anatomical distribution. Enkephalins are involved in analgesia, angiogenesis, blood pressure, embryonic development, emotional behavior, feeding, hypoxia, limbic system modulation, neuroprotection, peristalsis, and wound repair; as well as in hepatoprotective, motor, neuroendocrine and respiratory mechanisms. ACTH plays a role in acetylcholine release, aggressive behavior, blood pressure, bone maintenance, hyperalgesia, feeding, fever, grooming, learning, lipolysis, memory, nerve injury repair, neuroprotection, sexual behavior, sleep, social behavior, tissue growth and stimulates the synthesis and secretion of glucocorticoids. Enkephalins/ACTH are also involved in many pathologies. Enkephalins are implicated in alcoholism, cancer, colitis, depression, heart failure, Huntington's disease, influenza A virus infection, ischemia, multiple sclerosis, and stress. ACTH plays a role in Addison's disease, alcoholism, cancer, Cushing's disease, dermatitis, encephalitis, epilepsy, Graves' disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis, podocytopathies, and stress. In this review, we provide an updated description of the enkephalinergic and ACTH systems.