Alexander Coret MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Mostafa Atri MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To determine if adrenal glands increase in size because of medical or surgical stress

This was a rertospective study of CT examinations of 42 patients ( 31 men and 11 women) age 15-85 ( mean 46 years) who were admitted because of major trauma.All patients had undergone 2 CT examinations, one on the day of admission and one later while in the hospital. The time interval between the the two CT scans ranged from 1 day to 22 days (mean 5.5 days +/- 4.4 days. All CT examinations were performed on a 4 detector helical CT. One reviewer, blinded to the sequence of the examinations, measured the anterior, medial and lateral limbs of both adrenals, at the same level, comparing the two examinations simultaneously. Measurements were performed on a workstation using standard calibre. The mean of the six measurements was used as adrenal limb diameter and was compared between the two studies.

The mean of the adrenal limb diameter increased in size in 37/42 (88%) and did not change or decreased in 5 patients (12%). Adrenal diameter at admission ranged from 2.5 mm to 5.6 mm ( mean 3.7 mm +/- 0.76 mm) and at follow up from 2.8 mm to 7.4 mm [(mean 4.4 mm +/- 1 mm (p 0.05, Pearson correlation).

Adrenal size increases during acute medical or surgical conditions presumably as a response to the stress. Size increase occurs early and is not related to the length of stress.

Coret , A, Atri, M, Does Severe Stress Increase the Size of the Adrenal Glands on Cross Sectional Imaging?.  Radiological Society of North America 2004 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 28 - December 3, 2004 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2004/4416182.html