Pheochromocytoma – case report

We present a 13 year-old boy with pheochromocytoma localized in the right adrenal gland, who was hospitalized due to severe hypertension. For a long period of time he suffered from headaches, loss of weight, excessive sweating with polydipsia and polyuria. The diagnosis was made based on high urinary catecholamine excretion and the tumor was localized by ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radionuclide scanning with iodine 131-labeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (I131-MIBG scintigraphy). After acceptable control of hypertension was achieved by alpha and beta-adrenergic blocking agents and use of ACE inhibitors, right sided thoracophrenolaparotomy and adrenalectomy was performed, without any major intra-operative or postoperative complications. The boy was followed-up and his clinical and laboratory findings show no abnormalities so far.