Does Side Matter?: A Retrospective Study Exploring the Side Preference of Abnormal Hypermetabolic Adrenal Activity

• Xueren Zhao

  Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Loma Linda, California, USA

• Ohwook Kwon

  Loma Linda University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Loma Linda, California, USA

• Alex Yi

  Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Loma Linda, California, USA

• Michael Staton

  Loma Linda University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Loma Linda, California, USA

Hypermetabolic adrenal activity can be seen on F-18 FDG positron emission tomography (F-18 FDG PET) in
patients undergoing evaluation for malignancy. The adrenal glands are bilateral organs that are anatomically similar to
each other with no differences to arterial supply. They are also a common site of metastases. A retrospective study of
1135 patients with tumors at a veteran hospital was performed to see if hypermetabolic adrenal activity was more
common on the left or right. Chi-square analysis demonstrated a significant side preference, with hypermetabolic activity
occurring significantly more often in the left adrenal gland.

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