Adrenocortical carcinoma in a 8 years old child: a Case Report

Background:Unilateral tumors or masses of the adrenal gland are common. They are categorized as either functional (hormone-secreting) or silent and as either benign or malignant. Adrenocortical tumors are rare in childhood, with an incidence of 0.3-0.5 cases per one million child-years. Almost half of childhood tumors are adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC). Most ACCs are sporadic, but specialy in children, some occur as a component of hereditary cancer syndromes. The most common presenting symptom occurring in 50-80% in children with ACC is virilization; overall, survival is poor for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). The prognosis in children who have adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) appears to be better than that of adults, at least for earlystage disease. Residual or metastatic disease carries a poor prognosis. Complete resection is required for cure. Case presentation: The patient is a 8 years old girl presented progressive virilizing symptoms including deepening of the voice, clitoromegaly , growth acceleration, acne and premature pubic and axillary hair development before 8 years old. Conclusion: The clinical, biochemical, histological features along with differential diagnosis are discussed. This case is presented because of its rarity.This case study report a rare case and also to highlight the importance of differentiating ACC from an adenoma particularly in pediatric patients.