Malignant pheochromocytoma masquerading as acute pancreatitis--a rare but potentially lethal occurrence.
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.
Perrier
N A
NA
Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
van Heerden
J A
JA
Wilson
D J
DJ
Warner
M A
MA
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
D000681:Amylases