Adrenal tumour diagnostic pathway: findings from a national survey in the United Kingdom
Criseno, Sherwin Ravi, Sangamithra Sagu, Rahul Gillett, Caroline Prete, Alessandro Ronchi, Cristina L
Criseno, Sherwin
Ravi, Sangamithra
Sagu, Rahul
Gillett, Caroline
Prete, Alessandro
Ronchi, Cristina L
Abstract
Background: Currently, there is very limited information on referral patterns, diagnostic workup, and management of adrenal tumours (ATs) across secondary and tertiary endocrine centres in the UK.
Objective: To evaluate current practices in assessing and managing ATs across the UK, including diagnostic pathways and adherence to international guidelines on screening of patients with newly diagnosed ATs.
Methods: A 12-item web-based survey was distributed to members of the Society for Endocrinology, UK (approximately 1,600 contacts), capturing centre characteristics, number of patients with ATs, and diagnostic strategies.
Results: In total, 85 responses representing 80 centres were analysed. Over 45% of respondents, mainly from tertiary centres, reported more than 100 annual referrals. Malignancy rates were <5% in 89.5% of centres. Nearly all centres (99.8%) reported full or partial adherence to 2023 ESE-ENSAT guidelines. However, only 55% held regular adrenal-specific multidisciplinary meetings and 24% reported referral-to-diagnosis times exceeding 6 months. Steroid profiling (urinary or serum) was incorporated into diagnostic workup by 71.8% of centres.
Conclusions: This survey provides the first national overview of AT management pathways in the UK. Findings highlight strong guideline adherence but variability in multidisciplinary practice and diagnostic timelines. These data offer a foundation for policy development and future research, particularly as increasing incidental detections from cross-sectional imaging place growing demands on NHS resources.
MIDER Authors
Date
2026-03-23
Type
Article
Subject
Referral and consultation, Diagnostic techniques and procedures, Referral and consultation, Endocrine neoplasms
Collections
Citation
Criseno S, Ravi S, Sagu R, Gillett C, Prete A, Ronchi CL. Adrenal tumour diagnostic pathway: findings from a national survey in the United Kingdom. Endocr Connect. 2026 Mar 23;15(3):e250792. doi: 10.1530/EC-25-0792.
Journal / Source Title
Endocrine Connections
DOI
10.1530/EC-25-0792
PMID
41773589
Publisher
BioScientifica
Publisher’s URL
https://ec.bioscientifica.com/