Magnetic resonance imaging of adrenocortical adenomas in childhood: Correlation with computed tomography and ultrasound

There are few descriptions of the magnetic resonance (MR) appearance of hyperfunctioning adrenocortical tumours, particularly those occurring in childhood. We studied five patients, two girls and three boys, aged 6-14.3 years, presenting with clinical syndromes of adrenocortical hyperfunction. The diagnoses were Cushing's syndrome (n = 2), virilisation (n = 2), and Conn's syndrome (n = 1). Biochemical features suggested an adrenal lesion in each case, MR and ultrasound were performed in all five cases, with CT in four. Each patient had a functional adrenal tumour secreting either cortisol, androgens or aldosterone alone, or a combination of cortisol, androgens and oestradiol. The histological diagnosis was adenoma in four cases and tumour of indeterminate nature in one case, MR dearly showed the tumours (diameter 1.0-7.5 cm), all the lesions being of high signal intensity relative to liver on T2-weighted sequences. CT revealed an adrenal mass in each of the four patients scanned, three of which enhanced after intravenous contrast medium injection. The multiplanar imaging of MR allowed better distinction from adjacent structures and also demonstrated an unenlarged contralateral adrenal gland, In the patient with a 1-cm Conn's adenoma the lesion was more easily seen on MR than CT. Ultrasound showed the four larger tumours but was unable to visualise the contralateral adrenal or the Conn's adenoma. In conclusion, the MR appearances of four adrenocortical adenomas and one indeterminate tumour in children are described. MR has been found to be at least equal to CT in the detection of these tumours, with some possible advantages. Both techniques are superior to ultrasound.