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Objectives: To investigate whether the result of the 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test can predict the improvement of comorbidities after adrenalectomy in patients with subclinical Cushing syndrome., Methods: This retrospective study included 117 subclinical Cushing syndrome patients who underwent adrenalectomy. The numbers of prescribed drugs for metabolic comorbidities and the clinical variables at diagnosis were compared with those at the follow up. Patients were classified into subgroups according to the result of the 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test., Results: Significant improvements in blood pressure, serum cholesterol and body mass index were observed. Furthermore, a significant improvement in glycated hemoglobin was observed in patients with diabetes mellitus. These improvements led to a discontinuation or reduction of prescribed drugs after surgery. In addition, the greatest reduction of prescribed drugs was observed in patients whose serum cortisol levels were between 1.8 and 3.0 µg/dL after the 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test., Conclusions: The result of the 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test can be a useful factor predicting the improvement of comorbidities after adrenalectomy. Current data might give us a new insight into the decision-making for the treatment of subclinical Cushing syndrome., (© 2020 The Japanese Urological Association.)

Objectives: To identify pre-treatment factors affecting the duration of post-surgical steroid replacement in patients undergoing adrenalectomy for subclinical Cushing syndrome., Methods: The present retrospective analysis included 64 patients who underwent unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy for subclinical Cushing syndrome. Adrenal tumor and contralateral adrenal sizes together with various clinical factors were studied in association with the duration of post-surgical steroid replacement. Adrenal tumor and contralateral adrenal size were measured at the level of the maximum transverse plane of the adrenal glands using computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging. Cox's proportional hazards model was used for the statistical analysis., Results: All 64 patients were treated with post-surgical steroid replacement after adrenalectomy. The median duration of the steroid treatment was 6 months. When assessing the duration of post-surgical steroid replacement, contralateral adrenal volume <0.745 cm 3 , contralateral adrenal width <6.15 mm and serum cortisol after a 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test >2.65 μg/dL were significant predictors of prolonged post-surgical steroid treatment on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, contralateral adrenal width <6.15 mm was the only independent predictive factor for the prolonged post-surgical steroid replacement., Conclusions: Contralateral adrenal width seems to represent a significant predictive factor for the duration of post-surgical steroid replacement in subclinical Cushing syndrome patients. Pre-surgical assessment of image findings might help clinicians determine the total duration of steroid therapy after adrenalectomy., (© 2018 The Japanese Urological Association.)

Background: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has been established as a standard surgical method for unilateral primary aldosteronism. Meanwhile, the background characteristics of the patients undergoing adrenalectomy have changed over the last 20 years. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in hypertension cure rates after laparoscopic adrenalectomy during the last two decades., Methods: This retrospective clinical study included 176 patients who underwent unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism from 1995 to 2015. The patients were divided into two groups by decade. The patients' baseline characteristics and the hypertension cure rates were compared between the two groups. Additionally, the values were re-examined based on predictive model predicting postoperative hypertension cure., Results: The hypertension cure rate decreased significantly from 51.8 to 31.1%. The following variables were significantly different between the two groups: age, sex, body mass index, history of diabetes mellitus, preoperative systolic and diastolic blood pressures, potassium level, and plasma renin activity., Conclusions: This study showed that the number of patients with unfavorable conditions for hypertension cure after adrenalectomy has recently increased. The treatment goal for primary aldosteronism is not only to cure the hypertension but also to prevent organ disorders due to inappropriate aldosterone levels. Therefore, we recommend laparoscopic adrenalectomy for unilateral primary aldosteronism, even if hypertension is not always cured postoperatively. However, clinicians need to fully explain the postoperative hypertension outcomes to primary aldosteronism patients.

Background: Many patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) show a significant decline in kidney function after adrenalectomy. Thus, PA patients who undergo surgery are at greater risk of both postoperative renal damage and new-onset metabolic events associated with renal insufficiency. The aim of this study was to explore postoperative changes in serum lipid levels and to identify risk factors associated with postoperative new-onset dyslipidemia in PA patients., Methods: The records of 57 Japanese patients who underwent unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy for PA were retrospectively surveyed. Clinical and biochemical data were evaluated at baseline and 12 months after surgery. Preoperative and postoperative estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) and serum lipid profile, including triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels, were compared. Furthermore, uni- and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the predictors for postoperative new-onset dyslipidemia., Results: A significant decrease in eGFR and deterioration of serum lipid levels was identified postoperatively in most patients. Of the 39 patients without pre-existing dyslipidemia, 18 developed new-onset dyslipidemia postoperatively. Multivariate analysis identified preoperative lower eGFR and higher body mass index as independent predictors for new-onset dyslipidemia after surgery. On univariate analyses, additional factors associated with new-onset dyslipidemia included older age, male sex, higher LDL-cholesterol, and higher LDL/HDL ratio., Conclusions: PA patients had a higher risk of postoperative new-onset or progressive dyslipidemia. Clinicians should pay attention to not only follow-up of renal impairment but also total management of new-onset metabolic events associated with renal insufficiency in PA patients.

Objective: Correct interpretation of renal function in patients with primary aldosteronism is difficult before adrenalectomy, because subtle kidney impairment is often masked by glomerular hyperfiltration peculiar to primary aldosteronism. The aim of this study was to investigate postoperative changes in renal function for patients with primary aldosteronism and to identify clinical predictors of chronic kidney disease manifested postoperatively in the patients without pre-existing chronic kidney disease., Methods: Records of 78 Japanese patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism were retrospectively surveyed. Patients who had been followed up for <6 months were excluded. Preoperative and postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate were compared. Furthermore, uni- and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify clinical predictors for chronic kidney disease manifested postoperatively., Results: Patients with preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) showed a significant decrease after surgery. Of the 66 patients without pre-existing chronic kidney disease, 24 developed chronic kidney disease postoperatively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified a medical history of dyslipidemia as an independent predictor for chronic kidney disease manifested postoperatively. According to univariate analyses, additional factors associated with postoperative manifestation of chronic kidney disease included older age, lower diastolic blood pressure and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate., Conclusions: The interpretation of normal or abnormal renal functions by examining estimated glomerular filtration rate heightened by hyperfiltration alone can mislead clinicians before adrenalectomy. Clinicians should pay attention to patients at greater risk of a significant decline in postoperative renal function., (© 2012 The Japanese Urological Association.)

Background: Primary aldosteronism caused by aldosterone-producing adenoma is the most common curable cause of secondary hypertension, but despite resection, many patients continue to require antihypertensive medications to control their blood pressure postoperatively. The Aldosteronoma Resolution Score is a preoperative 4-item predictive model for the complete postoperative resolution of hypertension. Our aim was to validate the accuracy of this model in predicting postoperative resolution of hypertension in Japanese patients. Methods: The records of 91 Japanese patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy for aldosterone-producing adenoma were surveyed retrospectively. Patients were distributed into 2 groups according to whether blood pressure was normal without antihypertensive medications at 6 months postoperatively. Clinical and biochemical data were evaluated at baseline and after the 6-month follow-up. Results: At 6 months, blood pressure had normalized in 45% of the patients without antihypertensive medications. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that patients who had complete resolution of hypertension were significantly more likely to have been taking ≤2 antihypertensive medications preoperatively, have a duration of hypertension of <6 years, and be female. The predictive accuracy of the Aldosteronoma Resolution Score was assessed using the area under the curve of receiver operator characteristics analysis. The value of the area under the curve was 0.81. Conclusion: Our external validation revealed that the Aldosteronoma Resolution Score developed using Western data can identify accurately Japanese individuals with aldosterone-producing adenoma who are likely to have complete resolution of hypertension after adrenalectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: Adrenal vein (AV) sampling (AVS) is the diagnostic gold standard for primary aldosteronism (PA), but right-sided AVS is difficult. We compared detection of AVs by selective retrograde CT adrenal venography (SRCTAV) with digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Materials and methods: Data on 29 subjects (11 males, mean age 55y) with increased serum aldosterone concentrations (SAC) and a diagnosed right or left aldosterone-producing tumor (APT) by AVS who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Before AVS, visualizing AVs was attempted by DSA and SRCTAV (Aquilion). If after the adrenocorticotropic hormone loading test serum cortisol concentration (SCC) from either AV was >200μg/dl, AVS was considered successful. If the SAC/SCC ratio for one side was ≥4 times higher than the other side, we diagnosed a one-sided APT. Results: Left and right AV, respectively, were visualized in 29 (100%) and 22 subjects (76%) by DSA and 29 (100%) and 28 subjects (97%) by SRCTAV, with right-AV detection significantly higher by SRCTAV (p<0.05). Cannulations were regarded successful in 28 subjects having both AVs observed on SRCTAV but not in the remaining subject whose adrenocortical scintigram was positive, however. Adrenalectomy was performed with a diagnosis of adenoma. Among 28 subjects with successful AVS, histopathological diagnoses included adenoma (25), nodular hyperplasia (2) and normal (1). After adrenalectomy, antihypertensive drug usage in 28 patients was reduced or stopped with decreases in SAC (97%). Conclusions: Detection of AV was significantly higher by SRCTAV than DSA, especially on the right side, in 29 subjects diagnosed with one-sided APT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]