title: Interleukin-6 in the fever and multiorgan crisis of pheochromocytoma.
abstract: A 31-y-old black man with neurofibromatosis, alcoholism and hypertension was admitted because of abdominal pain, hematemesis and cough. In the hospital he had prolonged fever and developed a multiorgan crisis. Despite thorough investigation, no infectious cause for fever was found. Urinary catecholamines and metabolites were markedly elevated. Computerized tomography revealed a mass abutting the left kidney. A diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was made, and as soon as treatment with phenoxybenzamine and propranolol was begun, the fever resolved. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration was initially elevated, decreased after the start of adrenergic blockade, and gradually fell to an undetectable level after surgery. These observations suggest that interleukin-6 might have been causally related to the patient's fever and possibly the multiorgan crisis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Meridia Huron Hospital.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salahuddin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rohr-Kirchgraber
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shekar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loewenstein
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005334:Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6