Abstract
1039
Objectives: Differential diagnosis between patients with Cushing’s syndrome, primary aldosteronism, and non-hypersecreting adenoma is difficult only by referring to the visualization pattern in adrenocortical scintigraphy. We studied if quantitative 131I-6-beta-iodomethyl-norcholesterol(NP-59) uptake could be used to differentiate between the above-mentioned three groups of patients.
Methods: A total of 26 patients who had undergone adrenalectomy with different clinical manifestations (5 patients with Cushing’s syndrome, 15 patients with primary aldosteronism, and 6 patients with non-hypersecreting adenoma) were included in the study. Volume of the adrenal adenomas, NP-59 uptake of the adrenal adenomas, and NP-59 uptake per unit volume of the adrenal adenomas were compared between the three groups.
Results: The volume of adrenal adenoma in the group of patients with primary aldosteronism was significantly lower than that in the group of patients with Cushing’s syndrome(p<0.005). No significant differences were found between the three groups in terms of NP-59 uptake of adrenal adenoma. NP-59 uptake per unit volume of adrenal adenoma in the group of patients with primary aldosteronism was significantly higher than those in the other two groups(Cushing’s disease p<0.005, non-hypersecreting adenoma p<0.05).
Conclusions: NP-59 uptake per unit volume of adrenal adenoma can be useful for differentiating patients with primary aldosteronism from patients with Cushing’s syndrome and also from patients with non-hypersecreting adenoma.
- Society of Nuclear Medicine, Inc.