[Malignant pheochromocytoma presenting as an acute abdomen: a case report]

A case of right adrenal malignant pheochromocytoma was reported. The patient was a 16-year-old boy who complained of severe right side abdominal pain due to spontaneous hemorrhage into the retroperitoneal space. Right adrenalectomy was performed on Feb. 22, 1988 but the preoperative high serous catecholamine level did not drop to the normal level. Postoperatively bone and liver metastasis were detected by a 131I-MIBG scan. He was treated with a combination chemotherapeutic regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide, vincristine and dacarbazine in 2 repeated cycles but there was no effect. He died 5 months after the operation.