Functional Adrenal Collision Tumor in a Patient with Cushing’s Syndrome

Abstract EN

Adrenal collision tumors are rare and produce unique diagnostic challenges for clinicians.

We report the case of a 45-year-old woman with obesity and diabetes mellitus and an incidentally-discovered adrenal mass containing macroscopic fat, thought to be a myelolipoma.

A functional workup confirmed adrenocorticotropic hormone- (ACTH-) independent Cushing’s syndrome.

The patient underwent a successful laparoscopic adrenalectomy with pathology showing an adrenal collision tumor consisting of an adrenocortical adenoma and a myelolipoma.

Postoperatively, the clinical symptoms, body mass index, and hemoglobin A1C all improved.

Clinicians should consider a functional workup in patients with radiographically diagnosed myelolipomas as some may prove to be hormonally active collision tumors.