Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34095465›Full record

ArticleAACE clinical case reports

The Vanishing Adrenal Glands: A Transient Regression of Adrenal Lymphoma After a Single Dose of 1 mg Dexamethasone.

Shamaila Zaman, Hessa Boharoon, Neelam Khalid, Sasha Marks, Ali Alsafi, Rashpal Flora, Neil Hill, Emma Hatfield, Karim Meeran

Open access · goldAbstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in AACE clinical case reports. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Shamaila ZamanImperial Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Hessa BoharoonImperial Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Neelam KhalidImperial Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Sasha MarksHaematology Department, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Ali AlsafiImaging Department, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Rashpal FloraPathology Department, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Neil HillImperial Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Emma HatfieldImperial Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Karim MeeranImperial Centre for Endocrinology and Diabetes, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDexamethasone is a known treatment for lymphoma, but the potency and rapidity of its effect have not been recognized. We present a case of bilateral adrenal lymphoma that significantly reduced in size after a single dose of dexamethasone.

methodsWe present the clinical course and investigations, including adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, short synacthen test, computed tomography (CT), and adrenal biopsy results.

resultsA 52-year-old man had a fall and was incidentally found to have bilateral adrenal masses (left, 6 cm; right, 5 cm) on CT. His adrenal function tests included plasma metanephrines (normetanephrine, 830 pmol/L [normal, <1180]; metanephrine, <100 pmol/L [<510]; 3-methoxytyramine, <100 pmol/L [<180]); aldosterone, 270 pmol/L( 90-700); and random cortisol, 230 nmol/L (160-550). An overnight dexamethasone suppression test with 1 mg of dexamethasone showed cortisol of <28 nmol/L (0-50). A repeat CT scan 8 days thereafter showed adrenal masses of 4.5 and 3.5 cm on the left and right, respectively. He had a follow-up CT scan 3 months later that showed adrenal lesions measuring 8 cm (left) and 9 cm (right). He subsequently presented with fatigue and dizziness. Morning cortisol of 201 nmol/L (160-550) with adrenocorticotropic hormone of 216 ng/L (10-30) indicated primary adrenal insufficiency. Mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid replacement therapy commenced. An adrenal biopsy showed abnormal enlarged B cells, consistent with a diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

conclusionA diagnosis of lymphoma should be considered when adrenal lesions shrink following even a single low dose of dexamethasone administered as a part of a diagnostic test.

Indexed as

ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormoneadrenaladrenal canceradrenal insufficiencyCT, computed tomographyDLBCL, diffuse large B-cell lymphomaONDST, overnight dexamethasone suppression testPAI, primary adrenal insufficiencyPET, positron emission tomographySST, short synacthen test

Identifiers

PMID34095465
PMCPMC8053686
OpenAlexW3114932707

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.