[Association of pheochromocytoma and renovascular hypertension]

The case of a 47-year-old woman affected with right adrenal pheochromocytoma and right renal artery stenosis is presented. The concurrence of these two diseases is rarely reported in the literature, as shown by the review presented. Nevertheless, this association carries some problems as far as diagnosis is concerned, because missing renal artery lesion can lead to the maintenance of the hypertensive disease after surgical excision of the adrenal pheochromocytoma. Anyway, the extensive use of angiography is not justified for pheochromocytoma alone, because an excellent imaging of the mass can be achieved by means of non-invasive technologies, such as CT, echo B-mode, NMR. A careful evaluation of clinical features and non-invasive imaging and the presence of elevated plasma renin activity, although not determinant in surgical decision making, can support the suspicion of renovascular hypertension in the presence of pheochromocytoma and suggest to carry out renal angiogram and selective renal veins reninemia.