A case of extraadrenal pheochromocytoma associated with adrenal cortical nodular hyperplasia and papillary thyroid carcinoma

A 64-year-old woman was admitted in November, 1996 for fluctuating blood pressure. There was multinodular goiter in her neck. High urine VMA and serum aldosterone were noted. Computed tomography showed an oval lesion in the left adrenal gland. Left adrenalectomy was performed and the pathology was proved to be adrenal cortical nodular hyperplasia. Fluctuating blood pressure and high urine VMA persisted after the operation. CT scan of the abdomen revealed a soft tissue mass in lower abdomen. The patient was admitted again in September, 1997. Laboratory examinations showed normal serum aldosterone, normal plasma renin activity and high urine VMA. Aspiration cytology of the thyroid gland disclosed papillary thyroid carcinoma. [¹³61I]- metaiodobenzylguanidine image revealed a high uptake lesion in the right L-3 paravertebral area. Tumor excision and thyroidectomy were performed. The pathology was reported as extraadrenal pheochromocytoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma. Papillary thyroid carcinoma is rarely associated with pheochromocytoma. To our knowledge, this paper is the first report of a patient with extraadrenal pheochromocytoma associated with papillary thyroid carcinoma and adrenal cortical nodular hyperplasia.