ISSN: 2578-4676
Authors: Sharfi AR*, Fadalla AI, Elmegboul MA, Nour SM, Abdalla AA, Zulfo N, Sinada A and Abdalla S
Introduction: The detection of adrenal masses, especially pheochromocytoma needs a high index of suspension. All patients with symptoms or signs suggestive of pheochromocytoma need thorough investigations. Patients with pheochromocytoma have a potentially curable cause for hypertension, but if undetected, pheochromocytoma presents a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Objectives to Assess: The modes of presentation of adrenal masses. The available methods of investigations. The options of surgical treatment. Results: Seventy-two patients were treated in the urology unit of Soba University hospital in Khartoum in the period from 1996 to 2017. The mean age was 32 years. The male to female ratio was 1 to 2.7. CT abdomen was diagnostic in 93.1 percent. The commonest tumor was pheochromocytoma occurring in 75%, followed by adrenal carcinoma in 11.2% then benign tumors in 6.8% and others in 7.0%. All patients underwent open surgical adrenalectomy. The mortality rate was 1.4%. Other complications are discussed in the text. Discussion: CT abdomen has a sensitivity of 100% in diagnosing adrenal masses. This sensitivity reduces to about 93% in detecting extra adrenal tumors. Although open surgical adrenalectomy remains a very effective method of treatment of bulky pheochromocytoma, laparoscopic adrenalectomy is becoming a good alternative to open surgery.
Keywords: Pheochromocytoma; Adrenalectomy; Laparoscopy; Adrenal Carcinoma; Catecholamine’s
