Exploration of the optimal diameter cut-off value in patients with nonfunctional adrenal tumor suitable for surgery

Objective 　To analyze the pathology of the patients with nonfunctional adrenal tumor (NFA), and explore the optimal diameter cut-off value. Methods 　The clinical data of 243 patients with NFA, evaluated in the Department of Endocrinology and operated in the Department of Urology of General Hospital of Chinese PLA from Feb. 1996 to Jan. 2016, were collected. The patients were divided into two groups according to pathology: those in real demand of surgery were classified to the surgery-need group (n=57), while the others were categorized as the surgery-unwanted group (n=186). The general situation, pathological type and tumor diameter of the two groups and the factors affecting the surgery were analyzed, and the ROC curve was used to explore the optimal surgery cut-off value, which represents the maximum value of the sum of sensitivity and specificity. Results 　Of the 57 patients in surgery-need group (27 males and 30 females), the lesions were on the right in 31 cases, on the left in 25 cases, and on bilateral sides in 1 case; the median of lesion diameter was 4.5cm, and the average age was 41.5±12.1 years old. Of the 186 patients in surgery-unwanted group (87 males and 99 females), the lesions were on the right in 99 cases, on the left in 86 cases, and on bilateral sides in 1 case; the median of lesion diameter was 3.0cm, and the average age was 50.6±10.9 years old. Logistic regression revealed that lesion diameter might be a risk factor (OR=1.340, 95%CI 1.266-1.418, P=0.000) and age be a protective factor (OR=0.942, 95%CI 0.929-0.955, P=0.000) for real demand of surgery. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of lesion diameter was 0.757(95%CI 0.681-0.833). The optimal cut-off value was 4.1cm (sensitivity 60.7% and specificity 83.0%). Conclusions 　Younger patients with bigger lesion diameter may have greater possibility for surgery. The optimal surgery cut-off value of the lesion diameter is 4.1cm. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2016.11.11