U J 03 - All-2.pdf


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Keywords: adrenal gland diseases, cysts, surgery 

INTRODUCTION

Ectopic adrenal tissue detected in 20% of autopsies is relatively a common lesion. The site of its appearance is closely related to the migration of primordial adrenal cells in the course of organogenesis. Ectopic intrarenal adrenal tissue can be found in 6% of general 
population. They are usually discovered incidentally in autopsies, and surgical specimens are of no 

to be differentiated from neoplastic lesions.(1)

been reported in the literature.

CASE REPORT

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Abbas Basiri, Nadali Moosanejad, Shahram Shabaninia, Alireza Mir

Intrarenal Adrenal Cyst Presenting 
as a Renal Mass

Corresponding Author:

Nadali Moosanejad, MD     
Urology and Nephrology 
Research Center, No.103, 
9th Boustan St., Pasdaran 
Ave., Tehran, Iran

Tel: +98  21  2256 7222
Fax: +98  21  2256 7282

E-mail: Moosanejad@
gmail.com 

Received December 2010
Accepted February 2011

Urology and Nephrology 
Research Center, Shahid 
Labbafinejad Medical 
Center, Shahid Beheshti 
University of Medical Sci-
ences, Tehran, Iran

CASE REPORT

Case Report



621Vol. 9   |   No. 3   |   Summer 2012   |U R O LO G Y   J O U R N A L

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limits.

intra-operatively.

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of normal adrenal cortical tissue. 

differentiation, such as inhibin and synaptophysin, and nega-
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DISCUSSION
Ectopic adrenal tissues usually consist of small clusters of 
cells identical to adrenal cortex, and are found in various lo-
cations. Adrenal rest is most commonly located in the retrop-

Figure 1. The computed tomography scan showed a hyperdense mass in the upper pole of the left kidney.  

Figure 2. (a) Renal tissue cohesive to adrenal gland tissue with infiltration of benign looking cortical adrenal cells into the renal paren-
chyma. (b) The adrenal tissue surrounds a cyst with flat lining.

Adrenal Cyst Presenting as a Renal Mass   |  Basiri et al



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of the spermatic or gonadal vein, in the path of the testicular 
descent, near the tail of the epididymis, in the female gonadal 

-
ture, distant unusual location of adrenal rest, such as the lung, 
liver, and central nervous system, has also been reported.(2)

Nine cases of intrarenal adrenal tissue and renal-adrenal fu-

into the renal parenchyma. Seven cases have been inciden-

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(3) 

operative diagnosis.(4) 

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tures on imaging studies.(5)

and therefore, unique. On computed tomography scan, this 

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renal. 

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(6) -
edge, this is the only reported case of ectopic intrarenal adre-

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None declared.

REFERENCES
1. Brodsky G, Garnick MB. Renal Pathology with Clinical and 

Functional Correlations. In: Tisher CC, Brenner BM, eds. Renal 
tumors in adult patients. Vol 2. Philadelphia Lippincott Wil-
liams & Wilkins;1989:1945.

2. Rosai J. Adrenal gland and other paraganglia. In: Rosai J, ed. 
Ackerman's Surgical Pathology: Mosby-Year Book, St. Louis, 
MO;1996:1015-40.

3. Ye H, Yoon GS, Epstein JI. Intrarenal ectopic adrenal tissue 
and renal-adrenal fusion: a report of nine cases. Mod Pathol. 
2009;22:175-81.

4. Fan F, Pietrow P, Wilson LA, Romanas M, Tawfik OW. Adrenal 
pseudocyst: a unique case with adrenal renal fusion, mim-
icking a cystic renal mass. Ann Diagn Pathol. 2004;8:87-90.

5. Tajima T, Funakoshi A, Ikeda Y, et al. Nonfunctioning adrenal 
rest tumor of the liver: radiologic appearance. J Comput As-
sist Tomogr. 2001;25:98-101.

6. Colberg JW, Cai X, Humphrey PA. Unilateral adrenal hetero-
topia with renal-adrenal fusion. J Urol. 1998;160:116.

Case Report