Correlation between CT Perfusion Parameters and Microvessel Density and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Adrenal Tumors

We evaluated the correlation between computed tomography (CT) perfusion parameters and markers of angiogenesis in adrenal adenomas and non-adenomas to determine if perfusion CT can be used to distinguish between them. Thirty-four patients with pathologically-confirmed adrenal tumors (17 adenomas, 17 non-adenomas) received CT perfusion imaging before surgery. CT perfusion parameters (blood flow [BF], blood volume [BV], mean transit time [MTT], and permeability surface area product [PS]) were calculated. Tumor tissue sections were examined with immunohistochemical methods for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and microvessel density (MVD). The mean age of the 34 patients was 43 years. The median BV was significantly higher in adenomas than in non-adenomas [12.3 ml/100 g, inter-quartile range (IQR): 10.4 to 16.5 ml/100 g vs. 8.8 ml/100 g, IQR: 3.3 to 9.4 ml/100 g, p = 0.001]. Differences in BF, MTT, and PS parameter values between adenomas and non-adenomas were not significant (p>0.05). The mean MVD was significantly higher in adenomas compared to non-adenomas (98.5±28.5 vs. 53.5±27.0, p<0.0001). Adenomas also expressed significantly higher median VEGF than non-adenomas (65%, IQR: 50 to 79% vs. 45%, IQR: 35 to 67%, p = 0.02). A moderately strong correlation between BF and VEGF (r = 0.53, p = 0.03) and between BV and MVD among adenomas (r = 0.57, p = 0.02) exist. Morphology, MVD, and VEGF expression in adenomas differ significantly from non-adenomas. Of the CT perfusion parameters examined, both BF and BV correlate with MVD, but only BF correlates with VEGF, and only in adenomas. The significant difference in BV suggests that BV may be used to differentiate adenomas from non-adenomas. However, the small difference in BV shows that it may only be possible to use BV to identify adenomas vs. non-adenomas at extreme BV values.