Bilateral biochemically silent pheochromocytoma, not silent after all

Abstract

Pheochromocytoma is a sympathetic paraganglioma originating from the chromaffin cells. They are bilateral in 10% of cases and occur as a part of a MEN 2A or 2B syndromes. This is a case of bilateral asymptomatic pheochromocytomas diagnosed incidentally on imaging in a woman being investigated for secondary infertility. Laboratory tests were negative. Whole body FDG scan showed avid uptake of the tracer by both adrenal masses, but none in the thyroid. Hypertensive crisis occurred during right adrenalectomy on an unprepared patient in spite of clamping the adrenal vein, which raises the need for alpha-adrenergic blockade for patients undergoing adrenalectomy.