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Functional adrenal cortical tumors in pediatric patients: A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of a long term follow‐up series
Author(s) -
Bergadá Ignacio,
Venara Marcela,
Maglio Silvana,
Ciaccio Marta,
Diez Blanca,
Bergadá César,
Chemes Héctor
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19960215)77:4<771::aid-cncr24>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - medicine , proliferating cell nuclear antigen , virilization , metastasis , immunohistochemistry , pathology , gastroenterology , cancer , hormone , androgen
BACKGROUND Controversy exists as to which variable is a reliable predictor of clinical outcome of adrenal cortical tumors in children. METHODS Twenty patients with adrenal cortical tumors were studied. Tumor weight, histologic features, and percentage of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA/cyclin) in tumor cells were analyzed to determine the best predictor of clinical outcome. RESULTS Eleven patients had Cushing's syndrome with virilization and 9 had virilization without Cushing's syndrome. The mean age at diagnosis was 7.1 ± 5.2 years (range, 0.4–15.6 years). Sixteen patients, with good outcomes have been followed for 10.7 ± 7.8 years (range, 3–23 years). All but two patients had a tumor weight of less than 100 g (185 g and 800 g, respectively) (mean 47.7 g ± 46.4 g). Two patients with large tumors (weighing 1000 g and 780 g, respectively) had poor outcomes; 1 died 3 months after surgery with metastasis and the other presented with lung metastasis 18 months after surgery. Histologic features did not correlate with clinical outcome. Overall, PCNA stained cells were 6.96 ± 8.2% (range, 0–32.5%). PCNA values were significantly lower in tumors of patients with good outcomes ( P < 0.002). Within all tumors, we found a weak correlation between tumor weight and PCNA (r = 0.51; P < 0.02), but a better correlation was found between tumor weight and PCNA in patients with Cushing's syndrome (r = 0.70; P < 0.01). Patients with Cushing's syndrome had higher PCNA values than those with virilization syndrome (10.3 ± 9.6% vs. 2.8 ± 3.3%; P < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Our data show that small tumors (less than 100 g) are associated with good outcome; the two patients with the poorest prognosis had Cushing's syndrome and large tumors (more than 100 g). Histologic features are not adequate predictors of outcome and PCNA may be useful in tumors of patients with Cushing's syndrome, but this parameter should not be used alone. Two patients had virilization syndrome, large tumors (185 g and 800 g, respectively), and good outcomes, which contradicts with the concept that these tumors are usually associated with poor prognosis. Cancer 1996;77:771‐7.