To the Editor.—
Recently, I had such a case as that reported by Prinz et al in the article entitled "Incidental Asymptomatic Adrenal Masses Detected by Computed Tomographic Scanning" (1982;248:701), which further illustrated the need for appreciation of better guidelines for surgery.
Report of a Case.—
A part of a workup for abdominal pain after an auto accident, a 70-year-old woman had a computed tomographic (CT) scan that showed a left adrenal mass. This was confirmed by a subsequent CT scan.The patient had a history of hypertension for several years, but, except for minimal abdominal pain, she was asymptomatic. She specifically had no symptoms related to glucose intolerance, cardiopulmonary disease, vasomotor changes, or postural hypotension. Physical examination was normal, except for a BP of 168/70 mm Hg in a supine position and 150/70 mm Hg while standing without symptoms.Initial laboratory data showed normal cortisol levels and mildly elevated