title: Malignant pheochromocytoma masquerading as acute pancreatitis--a rare but potentially lethal occurrence.
abstract: Pheochromocytoma mimicking acute pancreatitis as its initial clinical manifestation is a known, albeit rare, phenomenon. Herein we describe a patient with this occurrence. A striking feature was pronounced hyperamylasemia, almost exclusively of the S-type. Our theory is that the pheochromocytoma caused a catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy, which contributed to failure of the left ventricle; pulmonary edema and release of S-type amylase from hypoxic lung tissue occurred subsequently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Perrier
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: van Heerden
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Warner
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000368:Aged; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D000681:Amylases