Interleukin-6 in the fever and multiorgan crisis of pheochromocytoma.
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.
Salahuddin
A
A
Department of Medicine, Meridia Huron Hospital.
Rohr-Kirchgraber
T
T
Shekar
R
R
West
B
B
Loewenstein
J
J
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*
D015850:Interleukin-6