Adrenal steroids in metastatic pleural effusion.

0.418 -0.421 0.4190.415Pulmonary metastasis is common in 0.421 0.416 patients with adrenal carcinoma (I). In the hormone-secreting functional tumors, the metastatic tissue usually produces the same hormonal secretions as the original tumor (2). Described below is a patient who had an undifferentiated left adrenal carcinoma with pulmonary metastasis and pleural effusion. The pleural fluid was found to contain significant amounts of l7-ketosteroids (17 KS). Case report: A 28-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain, amenorrhea, and rapidly progressive hirsutism of three months duration. Examination revealed a blood pressure of 150/1 10, severe acne and hirsutism, atrophy of breasts, and a large mass in the left upper quadrant. An intravenous pyelogram showed a large left suprarenal mass, which at laparatomy was found to be unresectable because of extension to the retroperitoneum. A biopsy of the tumor was read as an undifferentiated adrenocortical carcinoma. One month after the laparatomy, the patient was found to have left pleural effusion. A chestradiographrevealedin additionmultiplemetastaticnodulesin the left lung.