Laparoscopic simultaneous bilateral adrenalectomy for testosterone-secreting bilateral adrenal tumors

Abstract

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is widely accepted as a safe and minimally-invasive procedure. Although it is a standard procedure for the surgical treatment of adrenal tumors, its simultaneous use with bilateral adrenalectomy is relatively rare. A 21-year-old woman was referred to Hamamatsu University School of Medicine University Hospital complaining of a deepening voice, hirsutism and secondary amenorrhea. Abdominal computed tomography showed bilateral adrenal tumors, and hormonal examinations showed that the tumors secreted excessive testosterone, resulting in virilizing symptoms. Laparoscopic simultaneous bilateral adrenalectomy was carried out. Postoperatively, serum testosterone levels immediately recovered to within the normal range. Menstruation began the month after the operation, and the hirsutism gradually regressed. This is the third reported case of bilateral virilizing adrenal tumors, and the first to be successfully treated with laparoscopic simultaneous bilateral adrenalectomy. © 2013 The Japanese Urological Association.