Bancos, Irina

Abstract Objective Advanced adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is treated with mitotane alone or combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy, yet outcomes remain poor and prognostic models in this setting are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of clinical parameters in a large cohort of patients with advanced ACC undergoing systemic therapy. Methods Multicenter, international cohort study investigating 418 patients with advanced ACC (61.5% = women, median age = 52 years) from 11 centers. Patients received mitotane monotherapy (n = 161), etoposide + doxorubicin + cisplatin ± mitotane (n = 178), or second-line regimens (gemcitabine + capecitabine ± mitotane or temozolomide + mitotane, n = 79). Variables included age, cortisol excess, performance status (ECOG-PS), tumor burden, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) at start of therapy. Outcomes were overall survival (OS), time to progression (TTP), and best objective response. Results Tumor burden, cortisol excess, ECOG-PS, and NLR ≥5 independently predicted shorter OS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.55-2.68). We developed an integrated ENSAT Risk Score for Advanced ACC combining these variables: tumor burden (0-2), cortisol excess (0/1), ECOG-PS (0-2), and NLR (0/1). A score >2 (poor-risk) was significantly associated with worse OS and TTP across all treatment groups (HRs for OS: 3.05-3.96; TTP: 2.53-3.08). It also predicted poorer response to mitotane (P < .01) and second-line therapies (P = .04). Conclusions The ENSAT Risk Score for Advanced ACC is a practical, prognostic tool for patients with advanced ACC receiving systemic therapy. Based on accessible clinical and biochemical markers, it can support treatment decisions and facilitate informed discussions in routine care.

Abstract Context Evidence on the etiology and function of adrenal masses in younger adults is scarce. Objective This work aimed to characterize the clinical, imaging, and biochemical presentation of adrenal masses in 18- to 40-year-olds. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted January 2016 to December 2021 at a tertiary academic medical center. Participants included young adults (age 18-40 years) with adrenal masses identified through radiologic registry. Exclusion criteria included preexisting adrenal masses before 2016, hyperplasia, or masses smaller than 1 cm. Outcomes included adrenal mass diagnosis, as determined by reference standard of histopathology, radiologic surveillance, and biochemical evaluation. Results A total of 255 patients (women 142 [56%]; White 156 [61%]; median age 35 years [interquartile range 30-39 years]) were included. Comorbidities included genetic predisposition syndromes (16, 6.3%), preexisting malignancy (70, 27%), obesity (100, 48%), hypertension (89, 35%), and diabetes (25, 10%). The majority of adrenal masses were incidentally found (184, 72%) and median size was 1.9 cm (IQR 1.4-2.7 cm) on detection. Among adrenal masses in young adults, prevalence of malignancy and pheochromocytoma was 16% and 4%, respectively; among adrenal incidentalomas, 5% were malignant. Factors associated with malignancy or pheochromocytoma in multivariable analysis included nonincidental mechanism of discovery (odds ratio [OR] 15.5; 95% CI, 7.2-35.7; P < .001), and larger size (OR 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-2.0; P < .001). Hormonal evaluation was performed in only 57 (22%) patients and was positive for hormone hypersecretion in 16 (28%) of tested individuals. Conclusion We demonstrated a high prevalence of malignancy and pheochromocytoma in our cohort of young adults with adrenal masses. Completion of appropriate hormonal work-up was infrequent, potentially missing patients with functioning adrenal adenomas.

Abstract Objective Recent studies suggest a unique disease profile in elderly patients with primary aldosteronism (PA), who have a high prevalence of comorbidities and low clinical cure rate post-adrenalectomy. This study aims to investigate histopathology and genetic characteristics of PA in late adulthood. Methods Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded adrenal tissue sections from 114 patients with PA who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy at age 60 or older were used. Aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed for histopathologic analysis. Somatic DNA variants were identified in aldosterone-producing tissue following CYP11B2 IHC-guided sequencing. Results Histopathologic analysis revealed that 56 adrenals contained an aldosterone-producing nodule (APN) (49%), 44 contained an aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) (39%), 7 contained multiple APN (6%), and 7 contained only non-functioning adenomas [NFA, of which 6 had at least one aldosterone-producing micronodule (APM) in the adjacent tissue] (6%). NFAs were also identified alongside APN/APA in 24 cases. An APN was the most common histologic subtype in men (51/88, 58%), while APA was predominant in women (18/26, 69%). Of 67 APNs with successful sequencing, the majority had variants in CACNA1D (40/67, 60%). KCNJ5 variants were the most common alteration in APA (14/44, 32%). Conclusions Older individuals with lateralized PA exhibit distinct genetic and histologic causes of disease with sex differences in mutation prevalence and adrenal histopathology. In APN, the most frequently altered gene is CACNA1D, while KCNJ5 variants are most common in APA. Unlike young patients with PA, the presence of NFA is a frequent observation in late adulthood individuals with PA.

OBJECTIVE Early discharge following uncomplicated endonasal resection of pituitary adenoma has been described as safe and feasible. Discharge on postoperative day (POD) 1 is not a widely implemented practice in the United States. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of routine POD1 discharges by assessing postoperative unplanned medical care rates compared with those of patients discharged on POD 2 or later (POD2+). The secondary endpoint was to identify predictors of delayed discharge in the POD2+ cohort. METHODS A retrospective database review of the medical records of 534 patients who underwent endonasal resection of pituitary adenoma at the Mayo Clinic was performed. Relevant demographics, tumor characteristics, and perioperative metrics were abstracted from the medical record, including intraoperative CSF leakage, postoperative complications, emergency department visits, or inpatient readmissions within 30 days. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS In comparison to 422 (79%) patients discharged on POD1, 112 (21%) patients discharged on POD2+ had a higher unplanned medical care rate (13% vs 5.5%, p = 0.019). There were significantly more men in the POD1 group (48%) than in the POD2+ group (37%) (p < 0.04). The most common reasons for POD1 unplanned care were endocrine dysfunction (2.4%), split evenly between syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone and adrenal insufficiency, whereas the most frequent reason in the POD2+ cohort was medical (0.06%). Univariate analyses indicated that female sex, higher BMI, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, obstructive sleep apnea, continuous positive airway pressure dependence, intraoperative CSF leakage, and diabetes insipidus (DI) increased the likelihood of POD2+ discharge. The reduced logistic regression model demonstrated a higher likelihood of POD2+ discharge with older age, ICU admission, intraoperative CSF leakage, and DI (p < 0.001). Common factors contributing to discharge after POD1 included endocrine (n = 66, 35%) and/or medical (n = 65, 34%) reasons. CONCLUSIONS Routine patient discharge on POD1 following uncomplicated endonasal resection of pituitary adenoma is a safe practice, as evidenced by the significantly lower rates of unplanned medical care and complications compared with those of patients discharged on POD2 or later. Delayed discharge was associated with older age, ICU admission, intraoperative CSF leakage, and DI. The most frequent reasons for POD1 readmission were endocrine versus medical reasons for POD2+. Preoperative identification of risk factors for delayed discharge and preemptive management of endocrine and medical complications may reduce the length of stay and return to medical care.

Abstract Context Evidence on the evolution of cardiometabolic comorbidities following surgical remission of hypercortisolism is scarce. Objective To determine the impact of surgical remission on cardiometabolic comorbidities in patients with endogenous hypercortisolism and to identify factors associated with cardiometabolic improvement. Methods Prospective single-center cohort study (2019-2025) of adults with Cushing syndrome (CS) or mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) with surgical remission of hypercortisolism. Outcomes included (1) changes in severity of hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia, and obesity between baseline, 3, and 12 months postremission and (2) factors associated with improvement in comorbidities. Results Among 357 patients (49% MACS, 36% pituitary CS, 10% adrenal CS, 5% ectopic CS; median age 53 years [interquartile range 42-62]; 81% women), 336 (94%) had hypertension, 241 (68%) had obesity, and 122 (35%) had DM. At a median of 12 months postsurgery, improvement in hypertension occurred in 70% (90/128) of patients with CS and 51% (60/117) of patients with MACS, DM in 90% (46/51) patients with CS and 37% (13/35) patients with MACS, and obesity in 79% (77/97) patients with CS and 20% (14/71) patients with MACS. In a multivariable analysis, higher baseline biochemical severity scores were associated with improvement in hypertension [odds ratio (OR) 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-1.5), DM (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.7-4.1), and obesity (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2-1.8) at a median of 12 months postremission of hypercortisolism. Conclusion Postsurgical improvement of cardiometabolic comorbidities was observed in both patients with CS and MACS. Higher baseline biochemical severity scores were associated with higher postremission improvement in comorbidities.

Abstract Objective Evidence on the duration of post-operative adrenal insufficiency (AI) in patients with endogenous hypercortisolism is scarce. We sought to determine the duration of post-operative AI and to identify factors associated with the duration of AI in patients undergoing surgery for endogenous hypercortisolism. Methods We conducted a single-center prospective cohort study, 2019-2025, of patients with endogenous hypercortisolism [Cushing syndrome (CS) or mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS)] treated with surgery. Associations of demographics, body mass index (BMI), clinical, and biochemical hypercortisolism severity, subtype of hypercortisolism, pre-surgical hypercortisolism duration, glucocorticoid type, and nadir cortisol in relation to duration of AI were investigated. Results The 242 patients [41% MACS, 46% pituitary CS, 12% adrenal CS, 1% ectopic CS, median age 50 years (IQR: 40-60), 85% women] who developed postsurgical AI were followed for a median duration of 13.7 months (IQR 7.2-26.3). The median time to recovery of AI was shorter in MACS vs. overt CS (3.9 months (95% CI: 3.3-6.2) vs. 13.5 months (95% CI 11.3-18.3), P value &lt; .001). On multivariable analysis adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and glucocorticoid type, moderate to severe biochemical severity score (β = 11, P value &lt; .001) and moderate to severe clinical severity score (β=8.7, P &lt; .001), were associated with a longer duration of AI. Conclusions Baseline clinical and biochemical hypercortisolism severity scores may inform individualized counseling on post-operative AI duration in patients treated for CS and MACS.

OBJECTIVE While endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (ETS) is the standard treatment for nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs), the postoperative recovery rates of secondary adrenal insufficiency and their predictive factors remain poorly understood. The authors investigated the relationship between the tumor resection rate and adrenal function recovery in patients with NFPAs. METHODS This retrospective study included 450 patients with NFPAs who underwent ETS between January 2013 and November 2023. The rates of preoperative hypopituitarism and postoperative recovery rates of secondary adrenal insufficiency and their associated factors were analyzed. Recovery was defined as normalization of serum cortisol levels without replacement therapy for at least 24 hours, accompanied by symptom resolution. The tumor resection rate was calculated as the percentage of the tumor volume resected. RESULTS The median follow-up period for the entire cohort was 52 months (range 1–131 months). A total of 246 (55%) patients had dysfunction in one or more pituitary axes. Fifty-three (47%) of 114 patients with preoperative adrenal insufficiency showed postoperative adrenal insufficiency recovery. The cumulative adrenal insufficiency recovery rates were 12% at 1 month, 19% at 3 months, 32% at 6 months, and 41% at 12 months. Among the 114 patients with preoperative adrenal insufficiency, the factors associated with postoperative adrenal insufficiency recovery were investigated. Patients with smaller tumor sizes of < 20 mm (log-rank test, p = 0.001) and those with tumor resection rates of more than 85% (log-rank test, p = 0.032) demonstrated better postoperative adrenal insufficiency improvement. Bivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis demonstrated that smaller tumor sizes (continuous, HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.93–0.98; p = 0.043) and higher tumor resection rates (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.07; p = 0.001) were significantly associated with better postoperative adrenal insufficiency recovery. Multivariable analysis confirmed that only higher tumor resection rates were significantly associated with better postoperative adrenal insufficiency recovery (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06; p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS Nearly half of the patients with preoperative adrenal insufficiency achieved recovery after ETS for NFPAs. The enhanced extent of tumor removal was an independent factor associated with better postoperative recovery, indicating that optimizing safe maximal resection procedures may be crucial in enhancing adrenal function.

Abstract Disclosure: C.A. Villavicencio Torres: None. S. Ahmadian: None. K. Moehnke: None. V.M. Fell: None. R.L. Taylor: None. S.K. Grebe: None. A.D. Maus: None. I. Bancos: None. Background: Evaluation of adrenal disorders relies on total cortisol measurements at baseline or during dynamic testing. Accurate cortisol assessment that avoids phlebotomy may simplify the work up of adrenal disorders, decrease healthcare costs, and improve patient experience. Objectives: We aimed to compare cortisol and dexamethasone concentrations between venipuncture-based (clinical) and capillary blood samples. Methodology: We conducted a cross-sectional study (July 2024-April 2025) of adults undergoing standard-of-care cortisol measurements. Capillary blood samples were collected alongside clinical samples. Capillary measurements included total cortisol and dexamethasone (mass spectrometry). Clinical samples were tested for total cortisol (Roche immunoassay) and dexamethasone (mass spectrometry). Results: Of 318 patients (243, 77% women, median age 53 years, IQR 39-66), 227 (71%) underwent dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and 88 (28%) cosyntropin stimulation test (CST). Capillary blood collection failed in 13 (4%) patients. In patients undergoing DST, median post-dexamethasone serum cortisol was 1.3 mcg/dL (IQR 0.8-2.2), and serum dexamethasone was 0.41 mcg/dL (IQR 0.27-0.59), while median capillary cortisol was 1.5 mcg/dL (IQR 1-2.5), and capillary dexamethasone was 0.33 mcg/dL (IQR 0.21-0.51). Capillary cortisol (r=0.95, 95% CI [0.93, 0.96], p&lt;.0001) and capillary dexamethasone (r=0.93, 95% CI [0.90, 0.95], p&lt;.0001) showed strong correlation with their respective clinical measurements. In patients undergoing CST, median baseline serum cortisol was 7.5 mcg/dL (IQR 5-10), and median baseline capillary cortisol was 8.5 mcg/dL (IQR 6-12). Median post-CST 60-minute serum cortisol was 23 mcg/dL (IQR 20-25), while capillary cortisol was 25 mcg/dL (IQR 21-28). Baseline (r=0.77, 95% CI [0.66, 0.85], p&lt;.0001) and post-CST 60-minute capillary cortisol (r=0.88, 95% CI [0.81-92], p&lt;.0001) strongly correlated with clinical measurements. Post-dexamethasone cortisol in paired DST samples showed that capillary measurements were higher than serum cortisol (median difference 0.20 mcg/dL (95% CI [0.12, 0.42], p&lt;.0001), while paired capillary dexamethasone concentrations were lower than serum dexamethasone concentrations (median difference 0.04 mcg/dL (95% CI [0.03, 0.07], p&lt;.0001). In CST, paired baseline capillary and serum cortisol concentrations were similar (median difference 0.10 mcg/dL, 95% CI [0.3, 0.3], p=.3660), while paired post-CST 60-minute capillary cortisol was higher than serum cortisol by a median of 2.8 mcg/dL (95% CI [2, 3.2], p&lt;.0001). Conclusion: Capillary cortisol and dexamethasone concentrations demonstrate excellent correlation with venipuncture-based measurements. Following validation with at-home collection, capillary blood measurements may serve as an alternative for evaluating adrenal disorders. Presentation: Sunday, July 13, 2025

Abstract Disclosure: K. Yu: None. J. Saini: None. E.J. Atkinson: None. S.J. Achenbach: None. V. Fell: None. I. Bancos: None. Background: Data on cognition in patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) are scarce. Mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS), defined based on post-dexamethasone cortisol &gt;1.8 mcg/dL, is diagnosed in 20-30% of patients with PA. The impact of MACS on the cognition of patients with PA is unclear. Objectives: 1) to assess cognition in patients with PA versus sex-matched referent subjects with hypertension, 2) determine the differences in cognition of patients with PA (with and without MACS) and patients with MACS. Methods: A cross-sectional study, 2019-2023. Cognition was assessed by National Institute of Health Toolbox Cognition Battery and reported as T-score corrected for age, sex, race, and education. Only subjects with hypertension were included. Results: Cognitive assessment was performed in 52 patients with PA (including 11 patients with both PA and MACS, median age of 51 yrs, 30, 58% women), 47 patients with MACS (median age of 57 yrs, 31, 66% women), and 52 referent subjects (median age of 66 yrs, 30, 58% women). When compared to referents, and after age adjustment, patients with PA had lower cognition: fluid composite cognition β of -6.3 (P=0.014) and total composite of -5.6 (P=0.016). When compared to patients with MACS, and after age and sex adjustment, patients with PA had a similar total composite cognition score (β=3.6, P=0.108) but a higher fluid composite score (β=4.7, P=0.044). No differences in cognition were found between patients with PA with and without MACS, possibly due to low sample size. Conclusion: Patients with PA demonstrate lower cognition when compared to referents with hypertension. Patients with PA had a higher fluid cognition compared to patients with MACS. Future studies should delineate the impact of hyperaldosteronism vs MACS on cognition of patients with PA. Presentation: Monday, July 14, 2025