Bilateral synchronous robotic-assisted adrenalectomies in a patient of bilateral pheochromocytoma and Von Hippel–Lindau Disease – A rewarding approach

Abstract

Hypertensive crisis is rare in children. Among the rarest causes leading to this acute crisis, is bilateral adrenal tumour as a part of a syndrome, Von Hippel Lindau syndrome. The treatment is based on the excision of the adrenal tumour followed by long term surviellence. The authors present a case where conventional imaging with ultrasound and contrast enhanced CT scan demonstrated a right side adrenal tumour with raised catecholamines.The small left side tumour got missed on conventional imaging and got picked up on DOTA scan. The persistence of hypertension in post operative period can be related to such hidden functioning tumours. In view of the size of tumour & raised dopamine associated with high incidence of malignancy, robotic surgery was used for bilateral adrenal tumour excision which confirmed the diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma (PCC).

Keywords

• 68ga-dota positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan
• pheochromocytoma
• robotic adrenalectomy
• von hippel–lindau disease