Modern possibilities of the urine steroid profile testing applying for the adrenocortical cancer diagnosis

BACKGROUND: X-ray diagnostics methods are important in detection of adrenal neoplasms malignant nature. The sensitivity and specificity of these methods are high enough. However the hormonal tests are also necessary to make an accurate clinical diagnosis with the high diagnostic efficiency of modern X-ray methods for adrenal tumors diagnosing. The urine steroid profile violations are detected with the adrenal glands various pathologies (primary hyperaldosteronism, hypercorticism, congenital hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex and adrenocortical cancer). Urine steroid profile tests in patients with diagnosed adrenal neoplasms are intended primarily to confirm or refute the adrenocortical cancer risk. At the same time in the medical community to date there are a number of disagreements accumulated regarding the accuracy and significance of the urine steroid profile tests.

AIMS: The study aims to determine the urine steroid profile determination accuracy limits for the adrenocortical cancer diagnosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total 62 samples were tested for urine steroid profile by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. 58 patients had morphologically confirmed adrenal neoplasms. The study was blind prospective. To increase the study accuracy the 30 patients with adrenocortical adenomas (n = 17) and adrenocortical cancer (n = 13) were selected out of 58 tested persons. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the urine steroid profile were determined in order to assess information content of such method for the adrenocortical carcinoma diagnosis.

RESULTS: The possibilities of the urine steroid profile determining for the adrenocortical cancer diagnosis are estimated. The method sensitivity was 46.2%, specificity and accuracy were 70.6% and 60% respectively. The most reliable of adrenocortical cancer markers were tetrahydro-11-deoxycortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (38.5% of cases) increasing concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates relatively low diagnostic efficacy of the urine steroid profile as a primary diagnostic method for adrenocortical cancer determining. This is especially evident in comparison with X-ray diagnostic methods. The technique interpretation is complex and accessible only to specialists with extremely high qualifications. Such fact complicates the distribution and widespread use in clinical practice of this testing method. At the same time the urine steroid profile determination in the future (after additional study) may be apply as an auxiliary diagnostic method which in some cases determines the treatment tactics for patients undergoing adrenocortical cancer adrenalectomy treatment.KEYWORDS: dPheochromocytoma; intraoperative hemodynamic instability; laparoscopic adrenalectomy; Endovascular embolization of preoperative; сase report.

adrenocortical cancer, steroid profile of urine, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, steroidogenesis

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