Renal artery stenosis and pheochromocytoma: coexistence and treatment

The aim of this study was to develop an optimal treatment plan for coexisting pheochromocytoma and renal artery stenosis.

A retrospective analysis of the evaluation and management of a hypertensive 14-year-old boy was conducted.

Secondary causes of hypertension were excluded initially including intracranial, cardiac, and endocrine abnormalities. A renal scan showed right renal function at 39%. Angiography confirmed a 90% subsegmental stenosis, as well as noting a blush suggesting a tumor. A computerized tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen showed a right adrenal mass. Serum epinephrine was 3,006 pg/mL (normal, <1,009 pg/mL) and 24-hour urinary norepinephrine was 2,001 microg (normal, <105 microg/24 h), suggesting the presence of a pheochromocytoma. During the operation for resection, a right subsegmental renal artery was found to be draped around a renal hilar mass; the adrenal gland was normal. The tumor was resected, and pathology confirmed a pheochromocytoma. Postoperatively, the patient had some mild hypertension that gradually resolved.

Extraadrenal pheochromocytomas (paragangliomas) occur more frequently in children and are most commonly located in the renal hilum. In this location, they may present initially as renal artery stenosis as a result of direct arterial compression, fibrous bands, or catecholamine-induced vasospasm. Our experience supports tumor resection of extraadrenal pheochromocytomas as the definitive treatment for both conditions.