title: Adrenocortical carcinoma posing as a pheochromocytoma: a diagnostic dilemma.
abstract: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a malignant tumour arising from the adrenal cortex, whereas pheochromocytoma is a tumour of the adrenal medulla with occasional presence at extra-adrenal sites. Most of the adrenocortical tumours present clinically with Cushing's syndrome and signs of virilization due to over-production of the respective hormones. It is, however, rare for an adrenocortical tumour to present clinically as a pheochromocytoma. We report the case of a 45-year-old female presenting with clinical symptoms and signs of pheochromocytoma and investigations that resulted in a diagnostic dilemma. The histopathological examination confirmed the presence of ACC after the tumour was excised. This phenomenon was due to the presence of neuroendocrine features of ACC referred to, as a pseudo-pheochromocytoma with extremely limited data in the literature.
authors.affiliation: S.M.S Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India sumitajain@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sumita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: S.M.S Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Lakshman
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.affiliation: S.M.S Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Shravan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nadkarni
authors.affiliation: S.M.S Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Atul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ameta
authors.affiliation: S.M.S Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goyal
authors.affiliation: S.M.S Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Ranjan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: S.M.S Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Arjun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: S.M.S Medical College and Attached Hospitals, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Kamalkant
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gupta