Case report of the first laparoscopic adrenalectomy treatment of pheochromocytoma in pediatric population in Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Pheochromocytoma is a tumor that arises from adrenal medulla and it is characterized by increased secretion of catecholamines. The incidence of pheochromocytoma is 3 to 8 cases per million inhabitants, of which about 10 to 20% of diagnosed pheochromocytomas occurs in the pediatric population, with a higher frequency in boys. In 1.7% of the pediatric population with hypertension, the cause of hypertension is pheochromocytoma. Due to headaches and verified hypertension on twenty-four-hour holter blood pressure monitoring, the 13-year-old female patient underwent ultrasound, followed by scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen, which described an oval change above the right kidney about 4.5 cm in diameter suspected of pheochromocytoma. Twenty-four-hour urine cateholamines showed elevated noradrenaline values as much as 45 times higher than the reference range, as well as elevated Dopamine values. After adequate preparation with phenoxybenzamine and bisoprolol for two weeks, a right laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed at the University Children's Clinic in Tirsova, which is also the first operation of this type in the pediatric population. Intraoperatively, the maximum value of tension was 180/120 mmHg. Pathohistological findings confirmed pheochromocytoma. Although a rare cause of hypertension in the pediatric population, young patients with newly diagnosed hypertension should be examined for possible pheochromocytoma. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy through both the lateral transabdominal and posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach is the gold standard for the treatment of pheochromocytomas in both the adult and pediatric populations.