ClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT04860180Updated Apr 26, 2021

Effect of Surgical or Conservative Approach in Patients With Adrenal Incidentalomas

An interventional study of adrenalectomy in Adrenal Incidentaloma and Subclinical Hypercortisolism, sponsored by Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico. Status unknown. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-04-26.

Sponsored by Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Apr 2021), so the status shown — last known as Active, not recruiting — may be out of date.

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 4 years 4 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Sep 2016, registered Feb 2021).

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Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
61
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Subclinical hypercortisolism (SH) is a status of asymptomatic hypercortisolism, frequently found in patients with adrenal adenomas (estimated prevalence: 0.8-2% after 60 years of age). Although SH may lead to diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis, the diagnostic SH criteria and those suggesting the need of adrenalectomy are debated. Indeed, beside the cortisol secretion, the individual cortisol sensitivity may play a role in determining the SH consequences.

Subjects with possible SH due to adrenal adenoma will be randomized to surgery/conservative follow up. The effects of surgery on the cardiovascular, bone, metabolic complications of SH and on neuropsychological aspects and quality of life (QoL) and the possibility to predict them by using cortisol sensitivity and secretion markers will be studied. The study may clarify how to individuate patients who can benefit from surgery. These results will help reducing the costs of both useless surgical operations and SH consequences.

Read the detailed description

Subclinical hypercortisolism (SH) is a status of asymptomatic hypercortisolism, which is present in up to the 30% of patients with incidentally discovered adrenal adenomas (adrenal incidentalomas, AI). Since AI are present in 7-10% of individuals after 60 years of age, the estimated SH prevalence in this population is 0.8-2%. In patients with SH due to an adrenal adenoma the risk of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular events, osteoporosis and mortality seems to be increased, and monolateral adrenalectomy beneficial. However, no randomized studies evaluated the effects of surgery on SH consequences and established the criteria indicating the need of surgery itself. Thus, in many patients the SH diagnosis is uncertain and the best approach (surgical or conservative) unknown. These uncertainties are also due to the influence of the individual glucocorticoid (GC) sensitivity. Indeed, in the single individual the various polymorphisms of GC receptor (GR) and the different 11ß-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase type 2 enzyme (11HSD2) activity, regulating the tissue exposure to the active GC, may differently predispose to the consequences of GC excess. Therefore, in AI patients, beside the evaluation of the degree of the cortisol hypersecretion, the assessment of the cortisol sensitivity may be useful in establishing the individual risk of SH consequences and the possible usefulness of a surgical approach.

Specific Aim:

In AI subjects with uncertain SH the combined evaluation of the clinical features together with the parameters of cortisol secretion and sensitivity will consent to decide which patient has the greatest probability to ameliorate after surgery.

  1. To assess the variation of blood pressure control, lipids and glucose metabolism, vascular damage, bone mineral density (BMD), clinical and morphometric vertebral fractures, body composition, coagulation parameters, neuropsychological aspects and quality of life (QoL) in AI patients with uncertain SH after the surgical removal of the adrenal mass or after a conservative treatment.
  2. To assess in AI patients and uncertain hypercortisolism the effect of the surgical and conservative approach on cardiovascular, metabolic and bone manifestations, neuropsychological aspects and quality of life (QoL), in relation to the degree of cortisol secretion and sensitivity.
  3. To establish the best clinical-biochemical criteria for diagnosing SH, on the basis of the changes of the outcomes after the surgical or conservative approach, and therefore, for addressing the treatment of choice in the individual patient with AI.

Methods. During the enrollment period (24 months), all patients between 40 and 75 years of age referred for unilateral AI larger than 1 cm will be evaluated.

In all subjects, adrenocorticotroph hormone (ACTH), urinary free cortisol (UFC), cortisol after 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (1mgDST) and the GR polymorphisms of N363S, BclI and ER22/23EK will be assessed. Patients with 1mgDST >1.8 mcg/dL will undergo a low dose (2 mg for 2 days) dexamethasone suppression test (LDDST). Patients with 1mgDST and LDDST >5 mcg/dL and suppressed (\<5 pg/mL) ACTH levels will be excluded as affected by biochemically overt hypercortisolism, that requires surgery. AI patients with 1mgDST or LDDST \<1.8 mcg/dL will be excluded as certainly not affected with SH. AI patients with AI >5 cm will leave the study as in this case surgery is mandatory.

Eventually, after the enrollment period, 54 AI patients with uncertain SH will be included and randomized to surgery (Group1) or conservative treatment (Group 2). The follow-up period will last 24 months (after withdrawal of GC substitution therapy, if needed, for Group 1). Group 1 patients will undergo laparoscopic or laparotomic adrenalectomy, depending on the AI size and their clinical characteristics.

Evaluations at baseline, 6, 12 and 24 months: blood pressure (BP), body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, glucose, lipid and coagulation parameters, body composition and adenoma size by CT (Group 2 patients).

Group 2 patients with a >1 cm adenoma increase or appearance of overt SH will leave the study. At baseline and after 24 months, bone mineral density (BMD) and quality (by trabecular bone score, TBS), vertebral fractures (VFx), carotid atherosclerosis, neuropsychological aspects and QoL, will be assessed.

The patients will be defined: i) obese, in the presence of BMI >30 kg/m2; ii) hypertensive in the presence of systolic BP >130 mmHg and/or diastolic BP >85 mmHg and/or any antihypertensive treatment; iii) diabetic, in the presence of the World Health Organization criteria, and/or any hypoglycemic drug, iv) dyslipidemic, in the presence of triglyceride levels >150 mg/dl or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels \<40 or 50 mg/dl in males and females, respectively.

The improvement/worsening during follow-up will be defined as follows: for obesity in the presence of a >5% BW decrease/increase, for hypertension if the non-hypertensive patients passed from a pre-hypertension category to another or the hypertensive patients from a hypertension grade to another; for diabetes and dyslipidemia if fasting glucose and cholesterol levels pass from a category to another, respectively, following the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria.

The efficacy of the surgical and conservative approach on the basis of the changes of BP, BW, glucose and lipid control, BMD, VFx incidence (primary outcomes) will be compared. The effect of surgery on the coagulation parameters, carotid atherosclerosis, body composition, neuropsychological aspects and QoL (secondary outcomes) will be also evaluated.

At baseline, and at 6, 12 and 24 months, beside ACTH, 1mgDST and UFC, the midnight salivary cortisol (MSalC) and urinary free cortisone (UFCo) levels and the UFC/UFCo ratio (index of 11HSD2 activity) will be assessed In Group 1 and Group 2 patients the association between the changes of the primary and secondary outcomes with the cortisol secretion parameters and the presence/absence of GC sensitizing GR polymorphisms and the degree of 11HSD2 activity, will be evaluated.

An algorithm for predicting the effect of the surgical or conservative approach on the primary outcomes in the individual AI patient with uncertain SH. The algorithm, based on the combination of the SH complications at baseline (hypertension, osteoporotic fractures, diabetes) with the presence/absence of GC sensitizing GR polymorphisms, degree of 11HSD2 activity and parameters of cortisol secretion, will be retrospectively tested on the study population, will be elaborated. This would consent to evaluate positive and negative predictive value of the algorithm for predicting the response to surgery in the individual patient with AI.

02

Conditions studied

  • Adrenal Incidentaloma
  • Subclinical Hypercortisolism

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03

In context

Adrenal incidentaloma

27 studies on the registry are indexed under Adrenal incidentaloma; 12 are open to participants now.

Browse Adrenal incidentaloma studies →

Lead sponsor

Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico is the lead sponsor of 234 studies on the registry; 78 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • unilateral adrenal incidentaloma larger than 1 cm
  • cortisol after 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (1mgDST) between 1.8 and 5 mcg/dl

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • hypogonadism, thyrotoxicosis, chronic renal failure and hepatic disease, alcoholism, eating, rheumatologic or hematological disorders;
  • intake of drugs influencing cortisol and dexamethasone metabolism or cortisol secretion;
  • signs of hypercortisolism (moon facies, striae rubrae, easy bruising);
  • possible disease or radiologic features not consistent with adrenocortical adenoma at computed tomography (CT);
  • pheochromocytoma and aldosteronoma;
  • non-adrenal SH.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Metastases

Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.

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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Sequential assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
61 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    A, surgery

    adrenalectomy

    Procedure: adrenalectomy

  • No intervention
    B, observation

    conservative follow up

Interventions

  • Procedureadrenalectomy
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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. variation of blood pressure

    To assess the variation of blood pressure ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP, mmHg), and antihypertensive treatment at baseline and follow-up will be assessed; BP will be considered improved or worsened if the non-hypertensive patients passed from a pre-hypertension category to another or the hypertensive patients from a hypertension grade to another in accordance to giudelines, of if if antihypertensive treatment was reduced by 50%

    Time frame: 6 months

  2. variation of glucose levels

    To assess the variation of glucose levels, fasting glucose levels and glucose levels after oral glucose tolerance test will be evaluated at baseline and follow-up. Glucose levels will be considered improved or worsened if fasting glucose levels pass from a category to another, following the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria or if antidiabetic treatment was reduced by 50%

    Time frame: 6 months

  3. variation of lipids

    At baseline and follow up triglyceride levels; total cholesterol levels, HDL and LDL levels (mg/dl) will be evaluated. Dyslipidemia will be diagnosed in the presence of triglyceride levels \>150 mg/dl or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels \<40 or 50 mg/dl in males and females. dyslipidemia will be defined improved or worsened if cholesterol levels pass from a category to another, following the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria

    Time frame: 6 months

  4. variation of body weight

    At baseline and follow up body weight (kilograms) will be evaluated. the improvement/worsening during follow-up will be defined in the presence of a \>5% BW decrease/increase

    Time frame: 6 months

  5. variation of bone mineral density (BMD)

    To assess the variation of bone mineral density at baseline and follow-up a Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan will be performed

    Time frame: 24 months

  6. occurrence of vertebral fractures

    A dorso-lumbar spine x-ray to evaluate the presence of morphometric fractures (presence/absence) will be performed

    Time frame: 24 months

  7. variation of intimal medial thickness

    To assess the variation of vascular damage a supra-aortic trunk echo-Doppler to evaluate at baseline and follow-up variations of intimal medial thickness will be performed

    Time frame: 12 months

  8. variation of Relative wall thickness (RWT)

    the variation of Relative wall thickness (RWT) will be evaluated by an echocardiography. It will be calculated from Left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVEDD) (mm); Interventricular septal end diastole (IV Sd, mm) and Posterior wall thickness at end-diastole (PWd) parameters (mm)

    Time frame: 12 months

  9. variation of Sheehan Disability Scale

    Sheehan Disability Scale will be evaluated to assess perceived stress (SDS-stress scale ranges 1-10, a higher score means higher levels of stress)

    Time frame: 6 months

  10. Cognitive evaluation by Brief Assessment Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) score

    BACS evaluate verbal memory score (normal if \>33); working memory (normal if \>14.9); verbal fluency (normal if \>31.6), symbol coding (normal if \>40.5), tower of london (\>12.4)

    Time frame: 6 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. cortisol secretion and sensitivity

    To correlate the effect of the surgical and conservative approach in relation to the degree of cortisol secretion and sensitivity we will evaluate the GR polymorphisms of N363S, BclI and ER22/23EK ,midnight salivary cortisol (MSalC) and urinary free cortisone (UFCo) levels and the UFC/UFCo ratio (index of 11HSD2 activity)

    Time frame: 24 months

  2. variation of Inflammation markers and bone metabolism markers

    irisine, Tumor Necrosing Factor (TNF)- alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, adiponectin, resistin, sclerostin, Dickkopf-related protein (DKK) 1, N-terminal propeptide of type 1 collagen (P1NP) , monocytechemoattractant protein 1 (CCL2/MCP-1) levels will be assessed (pg/ml). Paired samples T-test will be used to compare baseline and follow-up levels.

    Time frame: 6 months

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

References and documents

Publications

  • Reincke M. Subclinical Cushing's syndrome. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2000 Mar;29(1):43-56. doi: 10.1016/s0889-8529(05)70115-8. PubMed 10732263 ↗
  • Terzolo M, Bovio S, Reimondo G, Pia A, Osella G, Borretta G, Angeli A. Subclinical Cushing's syndrome in adrenal incidentalomas. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2005 Jun;34(2):423-39, x. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2005.01.008. PubMed 15850851 ↗
  • Chiodini I, Morelli V, Masserini B, Salcuni AS, Eller-Vainicher C, Viti R, Coletti F, Guglielmi G, Battista C, Carnevale V, Iorio L, Beck-Peccoz P, Arosio M, Ambrosi B, Scillitani A. Bone mineral density, prevalence of vertebral fractures, and bone quality in patients with adrenal incidentalomas with and without subclinical hypercortisolism: an Italian multicenter study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Sep;94(9):3207-14. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-0468. Epub 2009 Jun 23. PubMed 19549741 ↗
  • Morelli V, Reimondo G, Giordano R, Della Casa S, Policola C, Palmieri S, Salcuni AS, Dolci A, Mendola M, Arosio M, Ambrosi B, Scillitani A, Ghigo E, Beck-Peccoz P, Terzolo M, Chiodini I. Long-term follow-up in adrenal incidentalomas: an Italian multicenter study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Mar;99(3):827-34. doi: 10.1210/jc.2013-3527. Epub 2014 Jan 1. PubMed 24423350 ↗
  • Di Dalmazi G, Vicennati V, Garelli S, Casadio E, Rinaldi E, Giampalma E, Mosconi C, Golfieri R, Paccapelo A, Pagotto U, Pasquali R. Cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with adrenal incidentalomas that are either non-secreting or associated with intermediate phenotype or subclinical Cushing's syndrome: a 15-year retrospective study. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2014 May;2(5):396-405. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(13)70211-0. Epub 2014 Jan 29. PubMed 24795253 ↗
  • Manenschijn L, van den Akker EL, Lamberts SW, van Rossum EF. Clinical features associated with glucocorticoid receptor polymorphisms. An overview. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 Oct;1179:179-98. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05013.x. PubMed 19906240 ↗
  • Szappanos A, Patocs A, Toke J, Boyle B, Sereg M, Majnik J, Borgulya G, Varga I, Liko I, Racz K, Toth M. BclI polymorphism of the glucocorticoid receptor gene is associated with decreased bone mineral density in patients with endogenous hypercortisolism. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2009 Nov;71(5):636-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03528.x. Epub 2009 Jan 22. PubMed 19207316 ↗
  • Tomlinson JW, Walker EA, Bujalska IJ, Draper N, Lavery GG, Cooper MS, Hewison M, Stewart PM. 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1: a tissue-specific regulator of glucocorticoid response. Endocr Rev. 2004 Oct;25(5):831-66. doi: 10.1210/er.2003-0031. PubMed 15466942 ↗
  • Eller-Vainicher C, Morelli V, Ulivieri FM, Palmieri S, Zhukouskaya VV, Cairoli E, Pino R, Naccarato A, Scillitani A, Beck-Peccoz P, Chiodini I. Bone quality, as measured by trabecular bone score in patients with adrenal incidentalomas with and without subclinical hypercortisolism. J Bone Miner Res. 2012 Oct;27(10):2223-30. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.1648. PubMed 22549969 ↗
  • Webb SM, Badia X, Barahona MJ, Colao A, Strasburger CJ, Tabarin A, van Aken MO, Pivonello R, Stalla G, Lamberts SW, Glusman JE. Evaluation of health-related quality of life in patients with Cushing's syndrome with a new questionnaire. Eur J Endocrinol. 2008 May;158(5):623-30. doi: 10.1530/EJE-07-0762. PubMed 18426820 ↗
  • Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus. Report of the expert committee on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. 2003 Jan;26 Suppl 1:S5-20. doi: 10.2337/diacare.26.2007.s5. No abstract available. PubMed 12502614 ↗
  • Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Executive Summary of The Third Report of The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001 May 16;285(19):2486-97. doi: 10.1001/jama.285.19.2486. No abstract available. PubMed 11368702 ↗
  • Vidal J. Updated review on the benefits of weight loss. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002 Dec;26 Suppl 4:S25-8. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802215. PubMed 12457296 ↗
  • Mancia G, De Backer G, Dominiczak A, Cifkova R, Fagard R, Germano G, Grassi G, Heagerty AM, Kjeldsen SE, Laurent S, Narkiewicz K, Ruilope L, Rynkiewicz A, Schmieder RE, Boudier HA, Zanchetti A, Vahanian A, Camm J, De Caterina R, Dean V, Dickstein K, Filippatos G, Funck-Brentano C, Hellemans I, Kristensen SD, McGregor K, Sechtem U, Silber S, Tendera M, Widimsky P, Zamorano JL, Erdine S, Kiowski W, Agabiti-Rosei E, Ambrosioni E, Lindholm LH, Viigimaa M, Adamopoulos S, Agabiti-Rosei E, Ambrosioni E, Bertomeu V, Clement D, Erdine S, Farsang C, Gaita D, Lip G, Mallion JM, Manolis AJ, Nilsson PM, O'Brien E, Ponikowski P, Redon J, Ruschitzka F, Tamargo J, van Zwieten P, Waeber B, Williams B; Management of Arterial Hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension; European Society of Cardiology. 2007 Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension: The Task Force for the Management of Arterial Hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). J Hypertens. 2007 Jun;25(6):1105-87. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0b013e3281fc975a. No abstract available. Erratum In: J Hypertens. 2007 Aug;25(8):1749. PubMed 17563527 ↗
  • Athimulam S, Delivanis D, Thomas M, Young WF, Khosla S, Drake MT, Bancos I. The Impact of Mild Autonomous Cortisol Secretion on Bone Turnover Markers. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2020 May 1;105(5):1469-77. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa120. PubMed 32154561 ↗
  • Bancos I, Alahdab F, Crowley RK, Chortis V, Delivanis DA, Erickson D, Natt N, Terzolo M, Arlt W, Young WF Jr, Murad MH. THERAPY OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Improvement of cardiovascular risk factors after adrenalectomy in patients with adrenal tumors and subclinical Cushing's syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Endocrinol. 2016 Dec;175(6):R283-R295. doi: 10.1530/EJE-16-0465. Epub 2016 Jul 22. PubMed 27450696 ↗
  • Morelli V, Frigerio S, Aresta C, Passeri E, Pugliese F, Copetti M, Barbieri AM, Fustinoni S, Polledri E, Corbetta S, Arosio M, Scillitani A, Chiodini I. Adrenalectomy Improves Blood Pressure and Metabolic Control in Patients With Possible Autonomous Cortisol Secretion: Results of a RCT. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2022 Jun 2;13:898084. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2022.898084. eCollection 2022. PubMed 35721734 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Ran from Sep 2016 to primary completion in Feb 2021, 52 months.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Feb 16, 2021
First posted
Apr 26, 2021
StartActual
Sep 29, 2016
Primary completionActual
Feb 22, 2021
CompletionEst.
Dec 8, 2022
Last update
Apr 26, 2021
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 26, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04860180
Collaborators
Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza IRCCS, I.R.C.C.S Ospedale Galeazzi-Sant'Ambrogio, Ministry of Health, Italy
Responsible party
Iacopo Chiodini (Associate Professor of Endocrinology, MD, Istituto Auxologico Italiano) — Principal investigator
First posted
Apr 26, 2021
Start date
Sep 29, 2016
Primary completion
Feb 22, 2021
Completion
Dec 8, 2022 (estimated)
Last update
Apr 26, 2021

Study contacts

Iacopo Chiodini, Professor
principal investigator · Istituto Auxologico Italiano

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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