Successful laparoscopic removal of a solitary adrenal metastasis from ovarian carcinoma: A case report

Background. The adrenal gland is a site of metastatic spread of some tumors. Usually the presence of adrenal metastasis signals widespread disease; however, isolated adrenal metastases have been reported. The adrenal gland, along with certain other organs, is considered a pharmacological sanctuary. Several reports describe long-term survival after adrenalectomy due to isolated adrenal metastases, in particular from non-small-cell lung cancer. There are several reports of laparoscopic resection of isolated adrenal metastases. Case. We present a rare case of a laparoscopically resected solitary adrenal metastasis originating from ovarian carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge there was no report in the literature of an isolated adrenal metastasis from ovarian carcinoma. The patient described developed an isolated left adrenal metastasis 11 months after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III ovarian cancer. The serum CA125 dropped from 365 to 35 post-operation. Conclusion. Isolated adrenal metastasis from ovarian cancer is a rare event, never before described in the literature. This case report describes a laparoscopic resection of an adrenal metastasis from ovarian cancer, and the drop of CA125 levels indicated complete resection of the metastasis. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).