The adrenal cortex tumors include both malignant adrenal cortex cancers (ACC) and benign masses (ACT) that can be either secreting, of one of the hormones normally produced in the adrenal cortex or non-secretory. Objectives: To describle clinical features and laboratory finding of patients with adrenal cortex tumors. Subjects and methods: This is a case series report. The authors have reviewed in detail the presenting features and laboratory of 29 cases of childhood ACT treated at the Vietnam National Hospital of Pediatrics in a period of 1995-2011. Results: 29 patients, 15 boys and 14 girls. The median age at diagnosis was 4.97 + or - 3.61 years (range, 20 days to 14 years)
19 patients were younger than 5 years. Hypertension and cushingoid features were common in patients (62 percent, 58.6 percent), virilization was presenting feature in 44.8 percent of the group. An abdominal mass was palpable in 20.7 percent of the patients. High level of testosterone was common in patients (94.1 percent). 30 percent of the patients had hypercotisonemia. All tumors were unilateral
the right adrenal glands predominated over left (1.9 :1). 62.5 percent tumors over 4 cm. 22 patients had received operation to remove the tumors: 11 carcinoma, 2 adenocarcinoma. In conclusion: High percentage of patients had malignant tumors among ACC operated patients.