Beneficial metabolic effects of prompt surgical treatment in patients with an adrenal incidentaloma causing biochemical hypercortisolism.

Context: In patients with adrenal incidentalomas, subclinical hypercortisolism (SH) is associated with an increased prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. The effect of surgical/conservative approach is debated.
Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the effect of the surgical and conservative approaches on the metabolic syndrome in patients with adrenal incidentalomas.
Design: This was a retrospective longitudinal study (18-48 months follow-up).
Setting: The study was conducted on an in- and outpatient basis.
Patients: One hundred eight patients with adrenal incidentalomas were studied for the presence of SH, which was diagnosed in the presence of more than two of the following: urinary free cortisol greater than 70 microg per 24 h (193 nmol per 24 h), cortisol after 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test greater than 3.0 microg/dl (83 nmol/liter), ACTH less than 10 pg/ml (2.2 pmol/liter).
Interventions: Surgery was performed in 25 patients with SH (group TrSH+) and 30 without SH (group TrSH-), whereas the conservative approach was chosen by 16 patients with SH (group UntrSH+) and 37 without SH (group UntrSH-).
Main Outcome Measures: During the follow-up, the improvement/worsening of body weight, blood pressure, or glucose and cholesterol levels was defined in the presence of a greater than 5% weight decrease/increase and following the European Society of Cardiology or the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria, respectively.
Results: In group TrSH+, weight, blood pressure, and glucose levels improved (32, 56, and 48%, respectively) more frequently than in group UntrSH+ (12.5%, P = 0.05; 0.0%, P < 0.0001; 0.0%, P = 0.001; and 0.0%, P = 0.0014, respectively). In group UntrSH+, blood pressure, glucose, and low-density lipoprotein levels worsened more frequently (50.0, 37.5, and 50.0%, respectively) than in group TrSH+ (0.0%, P < 0.0001; 0.0%, P = 0.001; and 20.0%, P = 0.05, respectively).
Conclusions: Regarding the various components of the metabolic syndrome, in patients with adrenal incidentalomas and SH, surgery is beneficial.