A rare case of ectopic adrenal gland in an adult inguinal cord lipoma: Case report and literature review.

Introduction: Ectopic adrenocortical tissue is defined as the presence of accessory adrenal cortex tissue outside the suprarenal location of the adrenal glands. It is not an infrequent finding during inguinal operations in infants, however, its incidence in adults is found to be less than 1 %.

Case: We report a case of ectopic adrenal tissue incidentally found in a cord lipoma of a 68-year-old man, presenting for elective inguinal hernia repair.

Clinical Discussion: In the literature, the majority of cases of ectopic adrenocortical tissue are reported during groin surgeries in children. After the first few years of life, it normally regresses, but in a few uncommon cases like ours, it might continue long into adulthood. The condition can have several theoretical clinical implications that need to be considered by surgeons. Adrenal insufficiency can occur if the ectopic adrenal tissue is the only adrenal tissue in the patient along with a potential for neoplastic transformation in cases of persistence of ectopia.

Conclusion: However, studies have shown no evidence of endocrine or oncologic complications after excision or persistence of the ectopic adrenal gland. Consequently, no investigations or treatments are indicated.