Between 2001 and 2014, 57 patients (39 men, 18 women; mean age, 65 y ± 10; age range, 41–81 y) at two academic medical centers underwent ablation of 64 metastatic adrenal tumors from renal cell carcinoma (n = 27), lung cancer (n = 23), melanoma (n = 4), colorectal cancer (n = 3), and other tumors (n = 7). Tumors measured 0.7–11.3 cm (mean, 4 cm ± 2.5). Modalities included cryoablation (n = 38), radiofrequency (RF) ablation (n = 20), RF ablation with injection of dehydrated ethanol (n = 10), and microwave ablation (n = 4). Fisher exact test, univariate, and multivariate logistical regression analysis was used to evaluate factors predicting hypertensive crisis (HC).
HC occurred in 31 sessions (43%). Ventricular tachycardia (n = 1), atrial fibrillation (n = 2), and troponin leak (n = 4) developed during HC episodes. HC was significantly associated with maximum tumor diameter ≤ 4.5 cm (odds ratio [OR], 26.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.26–131.99; P < .0001) and visualization of normal adrenal tissue on CT or MR imaging before the procedure (OR, 8.38; 95% CI, 2.67–25.33; P < .0001). No HC occurred during ablation of metastases in previously irradiated or ablated adrenal glands.
Patients at high risk of catecholamine surge during ablation of non–hormonally active adrenal metastases can be identified by the presence of normal adrenal tissue and tumor diameter ≤ 4.5 cm on pre-procedure CT or MR imaging.