7917 Bilateral Adrenal Hemorrhages As The Initial Presentation Of Poorly Differentiated Bronchogenic Carcinoma

Abstract Disclosure: B. Malapur: None. M.G. Jakoby: None. V. Williams: None. Introduction: Bilateral adrenal hemorrhage is rare, and most cases occur in the setting of bacterial sepsis, coagulopathies such as antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, treatment with anticoagulants, surgery, or trauma. We present a patient with asynchronous bilateral adrenal hemorrhages that resulted in an eventual diagnosis of poorly differentiated bronchogenic carcinoma. Case: A 65-year-old female smoker was found to have a large right adrenal hematoma on computed tomography (CT) obtained for evaluation of acute onset right flank pain. No hemorrhage or anatomic abnormalities of the left adrenal gland were apparent, and the patient was discharged home after her pain was controlled. Approximately one month later, she returned to hospital with bilateral flank pain, and bilateral adrenal hemorrhages were diagnosed on repeat CT imaging. An 8 cm left upper lobe lung mass was revealed on a chest CT scan, and cytology from a bronchoscopic biopsy confirmed poorly differentiated bronchogenic carcinoma. The patient had no recent surgeries, abdominal trauma, or treatment with anticoagulants, serologic evaluation for coagulopathies and disseminated intravascular coagulation was unremarkable, blood cultures failed to grow bacterial pathogens, and acid-fast staining of lung tissue was negative. The patient was discharged from her second hospital admission on hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone. Discussion: Adrenal hemorrhage in the setting of malignancy is usually a complication of adrenal metastases. The prevalence of adrenal metastases in advanced stage cancer is approximately 3%, with lung and breast cancers and melanoma showing the highest predilection for adrenal metastases. This case is unusual because the patient had no focal masses or disruption of left adrenal contour on CT to indicate adrenal metastases at the time of right adrenal hemorrhage, and she did not have other established risk factors for pathologic bleeding in the setting of malignancy such as thrombocytopenia or treatment with chemotherapy agents, anticoagulants, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Adrenal hemorrhage is also a rare inciting event resulting in the diagnosis of lung cancer; to date, there are only 29 published cases of spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage as the initial presentation of lung cancer. This case illustrates the importance of careful evaluation for malignancy in patients with spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage and no clear etiology for adrenal bleeding. Presentation: 6/1/2024