Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42188709›Full record

ArticleTomography (Ann Arbor, Mich.)2026

Differentiation of Adrenal Adenomas from Non-Adenomatous Lesions: Diagnostic Value of Unenhanced Spectral CT.

Tommasa Catania, Grazia Morabito, Simone Barbera, Massimo Venturini, Federico Fontana, Eduardo Maccarrone, Grazia Maria Arillotta, Velio Ascenti, Silvio Mazziotti, Thomas Joseph Vogl and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Tomography (Ann Arbor, Mich.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Tommasa CataniaDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital "Policlinico G. Martino", 98124 Messina, Italy.
Grazia MorabitoDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital "Policlinico G. Martino", 98124 Messina, Italy.
Simone BarberaDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital "Policlinico G. Martino", 98124 Messina, Italy.ORCID 0009-0002-7014-0124
Massimo VenturiniDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, Circolo Hospital, ASST dei Sette Laghi, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.
Federico FontanaDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, Circolo Hospital, ASST dei Sette Laghi, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3809-5696
Eduardo MaccarroneDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital "Policlinico G. Martino", 98124 Messina, Italy.ORCID 0009-0003-9809-7372
Grazia Maria ArillottaDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital "Policlinico G. Martino", 98124 Messina, Italy.
Velio AscentiDepartment of Radiology, Policlinico Universitario, University of Milan, 20133 Milano, Italy.
Silvio MazziottiDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital "Policlinico G. Martino", 98124 Messina, Italy.
Thomas Joseph VoglDepartment of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5218-1075
Giovanni FotiDepartment of Radiology, IRCCS Sacred Heart Hospital Don Calabria, 37024 Negrar, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-1426-2402
Tommaso D'AngeloDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital "Policlinico G. Martino", 98124 Messina, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0004-6378
Giorgio AscentiDiagnostic and Interventional Radiology Unit, BIOMORF Department, University Hospital "Policlinico G. Martino", 98124 Messina, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDifferentiating adrenal adenomas from non-adenomatous lesions remains a critical challenge in the management of adrenal incidentalomas. Conventional unenhanced CT relies on attenuation thresholds of 10 HU and 20 HU, which present trade-offs between sensitivity and specificity.

objectivesTo evaluate the diagnostic performance of unenhanced Spectral CT using the attenuation difference between 40 keV and 140 keV virtual monoenergetic images for differentiating adrenal adenomas from non-adenomatous lesions.

methodsIn this retrospective single-center study, 60 patients with adrenal lesions who underwent unenhanced dual-energy CT were included. Mean attenuation values were measured on conventional images and on virtual monoenergetic images at 40 keV and 140 keV. The spectral attenuation difference (Δ40-140 keV) was calculated. ROC analysis was performed to determine the optimal threshold and diagnostic performance. Additional analyses included DeLong comparison of correlated ROC curves and bootstrap resampling to estimate 95% confidence intervals for the area under the curve.

resultsForty-nine lesions were adenomas and eleven were non-adenomatous. The optimal threshold for Δ40-140 keV was -17 HU. When evaluated as a continuous variable, Δ40-140 keV yielded an area under the curve of 0.940 (95% confidence interval: 0.851-1.000), compared with 0.939 (95% confidence interval: 0.870-0.992) for conventional unenhanced attenuation. DeLong comparison showed no statistically significant difference between the two curves (

conclusionsUnenhanced Spectral CT using Δ40-140 keV improves discrimination between adrenal adenomas and non-adenomatous lesions compared with conventional attenuation thresholds. This technique may reduce indeterminate findings and limit the need for additional imaging.

Indexed as

Adrenal Gland NeoplasmsTomography, X-Ray ComputedDiagnosis, DifferentialFemaleHumansMaleROC CurveSensitivity and Specificityadrenal incidentalomadual-energy CTspectral CTvirtual monoenergetic imaging

Identifiers

PMID42188709
PMCPMC13211224

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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.