Surgical specimens of 66 adrenocortical tumours were investigated by conventional microscopy and DNA cytophotometry. Histologically, 50 neoplasms were classified as adenomas and 16 as carcinomas. In only 8 of the latter cases were distant metastases and/or a lethal outcome recorded. On single cell scanning cytophotometry either non-euploid or aneuploid DNA histograms were identified in 24 of 50 adenomas (48%) and in 14 of 16 carcinomas (88%). The two carcinomas exhibiting euploid DNA distributions fell into the group of 7 malignancies which are recurrence-free so far. From these findings it is concluded that DNA measurements have no diagnostic and only limited prognostic value in neoplasms of the adrenal cortex.
