Adrenal Venous Sampling: Where Is the Aldosterone Disappearing to?

Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is generally considered to be the gold standard in distinguishing unilateral and bilateral aldosterone hypersecretion in primary hyperaldosteronism. However, during AVS, we noticed a considerable variability in aldosterone concentrations among samples thought to have come from the right adrenal glands. Some aldosterone concentrations in these samples were even lower than in samples from the inferior vena cava. We hypothesized that the samples with low aldosterone levels were unintentionally taken not from the right adrenal gland, but from hepatic veins. Therefore, we sought to analyze the impact of unintentional cannulation of hepatic veins on AVS. Thirty consecutive patients referred for AVS were enrolled. Hepatic vein sampling was implemented in our standardized AVS protocol. The data were collected and analyzed prospectively. AVS was successful in 27 patients (90%), and hepatic vein cannulation was successful in all procedures performed. Cortisol concentrations were not significantly different between the hepatic vein and inferior vena cava samples, but aldosterone concentrations from hepatic venous blood (median, 17 pmol/l; range, 40–860 pmol/l) were markedly lower than in samples from the inferior vena cava (median, 860 pmol/l; range, 460–4510 pmol/l). The observed difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Aldosterone concentrations in the hepatic veins are significantly lower than in venous blood taken from the inferior vena cava. This finding is important for AVS because hepatic veins can easily be mistaken for adrenal veins as a result of their close anatomic proximity

Video_1_Renal cell carcinoma with intracardiac tumor thrombus extension: Radical surgery yields 2 years of postoperative survival in a single-center study over a period of 30 years.wmv

BackgroundRenal cell carcinoma (RCC) with tumor thrombus extension into the right atrium (level IV) is a rare life-threatening clinical condition that can only be managed by means of a combined urological and cardiac surgical approach. The early and late outcomes of this radical treatment were analyzed in a large single-institution series over a period of 30 years.MethodsIn 37 patients with RCC and intracardiac tumor thrombus extension, nephrectomy was performed followed by the extraction of the intracaval and intracardiac tumor thrombus under direct visual control during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). Recently, in 13 patients, selective aortic arch perfusion (SAAP) was instituted during DHCA.ResultsIn all patients, precise removal of the tumor thrombus was accomplished in a bloodless field. The mean duration of isolated DHCA was 15 ± 6 min, and 31.5 ± 10.2 min in the case of DHCA + SAAP, at a mean hypothermia of 22.7 ± 4°C. In-hospital mortality was 7.9% (3 patients). In Kaplan–Meier analysis, the estimated median survival was 26.4 months whereas the 5-year cancer-related survival rate was 51%.ConclusionsDespite its complexity, this extensive procedure can be performed safely with a generally uneventful postoperative course. The use of cardiopulmonary bypass with DHCA, with the advantage of SAAP, allows for a safe, precise, and complete extirpation of intracaval and intracardiac tumor mass. Late outcomes after radical surgical treatment in patients with RCC and tumor thrombus reaching up in the right atrium in our series justify this extensive procedure.</p