Adrenal Scanning: Usefulness in Adrenal Hyperfunction

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Abstract
Adrenal scans performed with 131I-19-iodocholesterol in 36 patients with adrenal hyperfunction and in 10 patients with normal adrenal function were studied to evaluate the contribution of the adrenal scan in the diagnosis and treatment of adrenal disease. In patients with Cushing's syndrome and primary aldosteronism, the scan localized the disease accurately. In patients with primary aldosteronism, the dexamethasonemodified scan was superior in tumor localization and in differentiating between bilateral hyperplasia and unilateral tumor. False-negative and false-positive scans were rarely encountered. No uptake or very little uptake was noted in adrenocortical carcinomas. Adrenal scanning with 131I-19-iodocholesterol can supplant adrenal vein catheterization and adrenal venous blood sampling for lesion localization in most patients with primary aldosteronism or with Cushing's syndrome primarily because of its noninvasive nature.

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