Improvements in imaging modalities and their increasing use have led to a substantial rise in the detection of adrenal incidentalomas. An adrenal incidentaloma is generally defined as a clinically inapparent adrenal mass discovered during imaging performed for reasons unrelated to suspected adrenal disease. The prevalence of adrenal incidentalomas increases with age, with reported estimates of approximately 3% among adults older than 50 years and up to 10% among those older than 80 years.
The clinical evaluation of an adrenal incidentaloma aims to determine whether the lesion is hormonally active or potentially malignant. Management decisions, including surgery and surveillance, should be individualized according to the clinical and radiological characteristics of each patient.
The Korean Adrenal Disorders Study (KADS) is a multicenter collaborative network established to advance clinical research on adrenal diseases in Korea. In this session, I will review current recommendations for the diagnosis, management, and surveillance of adrenal incidentalomas and integrate relevant findings from KADS studies, with a particular focus on mild autonomous cortisol secretion. These findings provide clinically relevant insights into the application of contemporary recommendations to patients with adrenal incidentalomas and highlight the value of multicenter collaborative research in improving individualized patient care.