Internal Medicine Investigations in: “The ghost Pheochromocytoma”

Abstract

A 58-year-old man presented with uncontrolled hypertension, elevated norepinephrine and dopamine but normal epinephrine levels. Computed tomography revealed a renal mass. The presence of a pheochromocytoma was excluded. Elevated catecholamines were finally diagnosed as due to sympathetic hyperactivity in the setting of obstructive sleep apnoea. Renal mass was treated as benign. The case will be presented as a detective-story, disclosing intriguing similarities between medical and police investigations.

Keywords

• Pheochromocytoma
• Pseudopheochromocytoma
• Catecholamine incretion
• Lipoma
• Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome