CONTENT OF SOME ADRENAL STEROIDS IN THE CYST FLUID FROM A LYMPHANGIOMATOUS ADRENAL CYST

Abstract

ABSTRACT A case of lymphangiomatous adrenal cyst containing 30 ml of cyst fluid, found at autopsy, is reported. The cyst wall contained islands of intact adrenocortical tissue just below the endothelium suggesting the possibility of a direct secretion of hormones into the cyst fluid. The content of cortisol, cortisone, corticosterone and deoxycortisol in the cyst fluid was 250, 7.5, 30 and 7.5 μg per 100 ml, respectively. The ratios between the concentrations of cortisol and corticosterone and cortisol and deoxycortisol were a little below the lower range limits for those found in mixed venous blood from normal subjects, whereas the ratio between cortisol and cortisone in the cyst fluid was much larger than the same ratio in mixed venous blood from normal subjects.