Transient hypertension due to adrenal hemorrhage in a patient with von Recklinghausen's disease.
A 29-year-old man with von Recklinghausen's disease suddenly developed severe epigastric pain and was admitted to hospital. Physical examination revealed elevated blood pressure (200/130 mmHg) and tachycardia (162 bpm). Initially, he was suspected to have appendicitis, and appendectomy was performed immediately; however, appendicitis was not demonstrable pathologically. Retroperitoneal hematoma was found incidentally during the operation. Further clinical and laboratory examination demonstrated a marked increase in the urinary excretion of catecholamines. There was no evidence of pheochromocytoma on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging; however, these imaging studies simply showed a hematoma at the right adrenal gland. Transient hypertension and tachycardia, resembling pheochromocytoma, was caused by adrenal hemorrhage.
Akuzawa
N
N
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi.
Nakamura
T
T
Tanaka
A
A
Ikeda
S
S
Fukuda
T
T
Sakamaki
T
T
Nagai
R
R
D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009456:Neurofibromatosis 1 / Q000150:complications*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis