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Surgery of Subclinical Cortisol Secreting Adrenal Incidentalomas

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Adrenal Incidentalomas
Interventions
Drug: Standardized medical treatment of hypertension by SAHR
Procedure: Laparoscopic surgical removal of the adrenal tumor
Registration Number
NCT02364089
Lead Sponsor
University Hospital, Bordeaux
Brief Summary

The general objective is to evaluate the consequences of surgical removal of SCSI on hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors in order to determine on an evidence-based basis if surgical excision of SCSI is preferable to an intensive medical regimen in patients with hypertension.

Detailed Description

Adrenal incidentalomas are unsuspected adrenal masses found during abdominal imaging. With the widespread use of computed tomography and MRI, adrenal incidentalomas are found in approximately 2% of patients. In an endocrinology setting, the majority of these masses are benign adenomas of the adrenal cortex. Approximately 10% of these adenomas display little excess of cortisol secretion associated to some degree of secretory autonomy but that are insufficient to generate overt Cushing's syndrome ("Subclinical Secreting Cortisol incidentalomas" or SCSI). However, hypertension and to a lesser degree obesity and impaired glucose tolerance are very frequent amongst patients with SCSI. The hypothesis that the mild hypercortisolism associated with SCSI is responsible for these clinical consequences is substantiated by few studies describing improvement after resection of SCSI. However, these studies were retrospective, uncontrolled and suffered from imprecision and numerous methodological bias. Thus, whether surgery is more beneficial than medical treatment is currently unknown and there is no consensus on the appropriate treatment for SCSI.

Patient selection Run-In period. Discontinuation of previous antihypertensive treatments and prescription of a standardized anti-hypertensive drug regimen (SAHR). Monthly Blood Pressure (BP) measurement using home BP monitoring. The duration of the Run-In periods will be ≤ 6 months and will end when BP will be controlled with the SAHR at two consecutive visits.

End of RI Second endocrine assessment for eligibility Randomization (Ra): 24h Ambulatory BP measurement, anthropometric and metabolic evaluation. Quality of life and cognition questionnaires. Randomization in 2 groups : Gr 1 Treatment group : Surgery followed by intensive medical care ; Gr 2 : Control Group : intensive medical care only.

Ra + 1Mo: Surgery in Group 1 Ra + 2.5 Mo to Ra + 13 Mo: 6 weeks interval follow-up Evaluation of home BP monitoring and adaptation of the SAHR. A step by step reduction of the SAHR will be attempted in the two patient groups at Ra+2.5Mo. A second attempt will systematically be performed in both groups at Ra+8.5 Medical evaluation of associated metabolic conditions (obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia) and adaptation of treatments Record of medical events and side effects of treatments Ra + 13Mo: Final evaluation. Endocrine assessment. 24h Ambulatory BP measurement, anthropometric and metabolic evaluation. Quality of life and cognition questionnaires.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
78
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age ≤ 80 years.

  • Unilateral SCSI:

    • Incidentally discovered adrenal tumor with attenuation < 20 UH and/or relative wash-out (> 40%) or absolute wash-out (> 60%) of contrast media and size ≥ 2 cm. Tumors that do not fulfil these criteria might be included if their size is ≤ 4 cm, do not exhibit signs of malignancy (necrosis areas, large and irregular rims) and are stable in size after ≥ 6 months of follow-up.

    • Impaired 1 mg dexamethasone suppression (Cortisol > 138 nmol/L or 5 µg/dL), OR Impaired 1 mg dexamethasone suppression (Cortisol > 50 nmol/L or 1.8 µg/dL) AND one biochemical abnormalities among:

      • 08h00 plasma ACTH < 2.2 pmol/L or plasma ACTH following CRH injection ≤ 6.6 pmol/L,
      • midnight plasma cortisol > 150 nmol/L,
      • increased late evening salivary cortisol,
      • UFC between 1 and 2.0 x N.
    • Treated BP (and confirmed using an automated home BP monitoring) OR increased BP (≥ 135/85 mmHg) none treated, using an automated home BP monitoring.

Exclusion Criteria
  • Age > 80 y,
  • Bilateral SCSI, Warning: Contralateral nodular formations < 10 mm are considered as negligible,
  • Incidentally discovered adrenal tumor size < 2 cm,
  • Malignant hypertension, stroke, pulmonary oedema or myocardial infarction during the previous year,
  • Malignant hypertension during the Run-in period,
  • Obligatory beta blocker treatment. Patients receiving betablocker treatment for other purpose than hypertension can be included. However, to be included, patients should need at least an extrastep of hypertensive treatment in order to allow the SAHR decrease following randomisation. The dose of betablocker has to stay the same during all the study.
  • UFC > ULN x 2.0 N,
  • 8h00 plasma ACTH > 20 pg/ml (4.4 pmol/L),
  • Chronic renal insufficiency (clearance < 30 mL/min)
  • Dissipation of the biological endocrine criteria for SCSI at the end of the Run-In period,
  • Intake of exogenous corticoids or drugs that interfere with dexamethasone metabolism,
  • Pregnancy,
  • Childbearing woman with no contraceptive effective method (HAS criteria - 77),
  • Adverse pathological conditions responsible for reduced life expectancy.

Exclusion criteria after the Run-In period:

  • Spontaneous resolution of biological features of SCSI
  • Hypertension not confirmed with standard blood pressure self-measurement device
  • Hypertension not controlled (≥ 135/85 mmHg) at the end of the Run-In period
  • Malignant hypertension (> 175/115 mmHg)
  • Patient receiving betablocker and not receiving at least an extrastep of hypertensive treatment of the SAHR

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Intensive medical treatment onlyStandardized medical treatment of hypertension by SAHRStandardized medical treatment of hypertension by SAHR.
Surgery followed by intensive medical careLaparoscopic surgical removal of the adrenal tumorLaparoscopic surgical removal of the adrenal tumor
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Blood pressure value and SAHR step 12 months after inclusion13 months

Treatment response will defined as a reduction of at least 1 step of SAHR at the end of the study, with BP maintained within the study objectives (\<135 mm Hg systolic and \<85 mm Hg diastolic) according to self-measurement at home.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Antihypertensive treatment score and daily drug dose12 months
Evaluation of quality of lifeAt inclusion and 12 months

Comparison of the two therapeutic strategies with regard to quality of life

Cardiovascular risk factors/markers level12 months

Comparison of the two therapeutic strategies with regard to cardiovascular risk factors/markers: BMI, body composition evaluated by DEXA, abdominal fat evaluated on CT-scan, fasting blood glucose and insulin, HbA1C, HOMA-IR (homeostasis model of assessment of insulin resistance) and OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test), blood lipids, pro-inflammatory adipokines

Incidence of complications in the two strategies.12 months
Number of patients with persistent diabetes, dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome12 months
Assessment of predictive factors for the success of surgery on BP12 months

age, family history of hypertension, duration of hypertension, kidney function, biochemical endocrine abnormalities, urinary steroid profile

24 hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring valuesAt inclusion (day 0) and at 12 months
Blood glucose and lipid lowering agents values12 months
Direct costs of the two strategies.12 months
number of patients requiring antihypertensive treatment12 months

Trial Locations

Locations (17)

Service d'Endocrinologie, Diabétologie, Nutrition - CHU d'Amiens

🇫🇷

Amiens, Haut De France, France

Service de Médecine Interne, Endocrinologie et Nutrition - CHU de Strasbourg

🇫🇷

Strasbourg, Alsace, France

Service Endocrinologie, Diabétologie, maladies métaboliques - CHU de Bordeaux

🇫🇷

Pessac, Aquitaine, France

Service d'Endocrinologie - Niveau 18 - Caen CHU Côte de Nacre

🇫🇷

Caen, Basse-Normandie, France

Endocrinologie, Diabète et Maladies Métaboliques - CHU de Rouen

🇫🇷

Rouen, Haute-Normandie, France

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpital COCHIN

🇫🇷

Paris, ILE DE France, France

Service d'Endocrinologie et des Maladies de la Reproduction- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpial Bicêtre

🇫🇷

Le Kremlin Bicêtre, ILE DE France, France

Service d'Endocrinologie et Maladies Métabolique - CHU de Toulouse

🇫🇷

Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées, France

Service d'Hypertension et de Médecine Vasculaire - Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris - Hôpital européen Georges Pompidou

🇫🇷

Paris, ILE DE France, France

Service d'Endocrinologie, Diabétologie et Métabolisme - CHRU de LILLE

🇫🇷

Lille, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France

Département Endocrinologie-Diabétologie -Nutrition - CHU d'ANGERS

🇫🇷

Angers, Pays De La Loire, France

Endokrinologie, Diabetes und Ernährungsmedizin, Campus Mitte, Medizinische Klinik - Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

🇩🇪

Berlin, Germany

CIC Endocrinologie-Nutrition - CHU de Nantes

🇫🇷

Nantes, Pays De La Loire, France

Service d'Endocrinologie, Diabète et Maladies Métaboliques - Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille

🇫🇷

Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France

S Orsola-Malpighi Hospital

🇮🇹

Bologna, Italy

Department of Internal Medicine I, Endocrine and Diabetes Uni -University Hospital Würzburg

🇩🇪

Würzburg, Germany

CHU de Poitiers

🇫🇷

Poitiers, France

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