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Review
. 2016 Apr 14;22(14):3879-84.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i14.3879.

Case of metachronous bilateral isolated adrenal metastasis from colorectal adenocarcinoma and review of the literature

Yu-Yi Liu  1 , Zhi-Hui Chen  1 , Er-Tao Zhai  1 , Jie Yang  1 , Jian-Bo Xu  1 , Shi-Rong Cai  1 , Wu Song  1
Affiliations
Review

Case of metachronous bilateral isolated adrenal metastasis from colorectal adenocarcinoma and review of the literature

Yu-Yi Liu et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Rarely has a solitary, metachronous bilateral adrenal metastasis of colorectal cancer been reported. We depict a 41-year-old man who underwent sigmoid colon cancer radical surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy for a locally ulcerative sigmoid adenocarcinoma with metachronous bilateral adrenal metastasis revealed by a computed tomography scan. Histopathological examination showed adenocarcinoma, compatible with metastasis from the rectal cancer. The level of serum carcinoembryonic antigen had indicative significance for the presence of adrenal metastasis in the reported series. We performed a literature analysis related to this pathological characteristic and attach importance to consistent, vigilant radiological surveillance of the adrenal glands in the patients' follow up for colorectal cancer with or without subsequent adrenal metastasis.

Keywords: Adrenal gland; Bilateral; Colorectal cancer; Metachronous; Metastasis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Abdominal enhanced computed tomography revealed a low density mass in the right adrenal gland.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Adrenal tumor. A: Macroscopic findings of the adrenal lesion showed a solid tumor with necrosis; B: Microscopic findings of the adrenal tumor showed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma that resembles the primary sigmoid lesion that had been resected. This indicated that the metastasis was from the sigmoid carcinoma.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Computed tomography image. A: Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen shows a left adrenal mass; B: CT evaluation showed response of the adrenal metastases after chemotherapy.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Pathological findings of the left adrenal tumor showed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, compatible with metastasis from the rectal carcinoma.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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