Ultrastructure of Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma

The ultrastructural features of 30 adrenal cortical carcinomas have been reviewed and compared with those seen in adrenal cortical adenomas, adrenal cortical hyperplasia, and the normal cortex. A broad range of ultrastructural appearances was found among the carcinomas, but the differences were mainly in the amount of cytoplasmic lipid, number of lysosomes, and quantity and architecture of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Structural variants among the carcinomas included lipid-rich, oncocytic, and glycogen-rich cells. Electron microscopy can be extremely useful in differential diagnoses that include adrenal cortical carcinoma.