Adrenal neoplasms: Effectiveness and safety of CT-guided ablation of 23 tumors in 22 patients

Purpose

To retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness and safety of image-guided ablation of adrenal tumors.

Materials and methods

: This HIPAA-compliant study was IRB approved and informed consent was waived. From 5/1999-6/2008, 20 consecutive adrenal metastases (mean diameter 4.2 cm; range, 2–8) and 3 hormonally active primary adrenal tumors (mean diameter 2.3 cm; range, 1–4), including an aldosteronoma and 2 pheochromocytomas in 22 patients (14 men, 8 women; mean age 61 years; range 40–84) were ablated in 23 sessions. Bilateral metastases were treated in a single patient. Radiofrequency ablation was used to treat 16 adrenal metastases and the 3 hyperfunctioning tumors. Microwave ablation was used to treat 4 metastases.Successful treatment was defined as a lack of both enhancement on follow-up contrast enhanced CT and/or up-take on FDG PET-CT and for functioning tumors, resolution of biochemical abnormalities.

Results

Technical success was achieved in all sessions. Mean follow-up was 45.1 months (range, 1–91) Local tumor progression (focal enhancement at ablation site ≥1 cm in short axis) was detected in 4 of 23 tumors, two of which were identified bilaterally in a single patient prompting re-treatment. Of 19 patients with metastatic disease, 16 had fatal extra-adrenal disease progression, and 3 remain alive. Two of the 3 patients who underwent ablation of hyperfunctioning tumors remain alive, including the patient with an aldosteronoma who had recurrent symptoms 91 months post ablation. Intra-ablative hypertension occurred in 9% (2/23) of sessions and was successfully treated pharmacologically.

Conclusion

Ablation of metastatic and hyperfunctioning adrenal tumors is safe and may provide local control and treatment of pathologic biochemical activity.