A 30-year-old female patient complains that she has been weak and easily fatigued over the past 6 months. She has a 3-month acute history of severe hypertension that has required treatment with antihypertensive medications. She has recently gained 4.5 kg (10 lb) and currently weighs 75 kg (165 lb). Her blood pressure is 170/100 mm Hg. Purple striae are seen over the abdomen on physical examination and she possesses a "buffalo hump." Fasting serum glucose concentration is 140 mg/dl. A CT scan of the abdomen shows a 6-cm mass immediately posterior to the inferior vena cava. Which of the following organs is the most likely origin of the mass?
High-Yield Explanation
The right adrenal gland is a retroperitoneal organ on the superomedial aspect of the right kidney, partially posterior to the inferior vena cava. The appendix is a narrow, hollow tube that is suspended from the cecum by a small mesoappendix. The gallbladder is located at the junction of the ninth costal cartilage and the lateral border of the rectus abdominis, quite anterior to the pathologic mass. The ovaries and uterus are both inferior to the confluence of the inferior vena cava.