[Incidentaloma--one of the greatest challenges of modern endocrinology]

Abstract

Technological advance of the recent years has contributed to the development of the situation during which clinically inapparent masses are discovered in endocrine organs by high-resolution radiological imaging procedures that have been performed for other reasons. Most of these lesions, frequently referred to as incidentalomas, are clinically insignificant benign and hormonally inactive adenomas that neither pose a risk to a patient's health nor warrant the risks of further diagnosis and treatment. One of the greatest challenges of modern endocrinology is to distinguish the vast majority of clinically insignificant changes from other masses requiring further management such as hormone-secreting tumours and malignant lesions. Over the years a myriad of the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches has been recommended and presently there are still no uniform guidelines. The purpose of his article is to give an overview on the recent advances in diagnosis and management of pituitary and adrenal incidentalomas. We provide the reader with practical recommendations and underline areas in which further studies are required.