STEROID PRODUCTION BY HUMAN ADRENAL ADENOMATA AND NONTUMOROUS ADRENAL TISSUE<i>IN VITRO</i>*

Abstract

Corticosteroid production by adrenal tissue slices was studied in vitro by means of an incubation technique. Adenomata from patients with Conn's syndrome and nontumorous adrenal tissue from patients with idiopathic edema or gonadal dysgenesis produced cortisol, corticosterone and aldosterone. Hyperplastic adrenal tissue from patients with Cushing's syndrome produced cortisol, corticosterone and, in one instance, aldosterone. Although it was not possible to correlate any particular secretory pattern with the clinical and pathologic diagnosis in this small series of patients, the pattern of hormone production in vitro provided additional and independent information of interest and possible value in interpretation of the pathologic physiology of these cases.