[Diagnosis and treatment of adrenal medullary hyperplasia (with report of 8 cases)].

Objective: To study the diagnosis and treatment of adrenal medullary hyperplasia (AMH).
Methods: An retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 8 patients with AMH admitted in our hospital from May 1998 to May 2002 were conducted with a review of the follow-up study.
Results: CT scanning of the adrenal gland showed unilateral abnormal appearance in all 8 cases. Diagnoses of AMH in 4 patients and pheochromocytoma in the other 4 patients were established before surgery. All the patients underwent unilateral adrenalectomy, among whom 7 were cured and 1 suffered recurrence 1 month after operation because of medullar hyperplasia in the contralateral adrenal gland.
Conclusions: AMH should be differentiated from pheochromocytoma, especially from adrenal nodules shown by catecholamin assay. Definite diagnosis depends on pathological examination and surgical removal through abdominal approach is the best choice of treatment, in which both sides of the adrenal glands should be explored.