Splenectomy for splenic metastases from malignant adrenal pheochromocytoma: a case report

Splenic metastasis is generally not a common clinical event. However, metastasis to the spleen from adrenal pheochromocytoma is extremely rare and has not been reported in literature. This report presents a case of a 58 year-old male patient who developed spleen-only metastases in July 2007. The patient had a previous history of left epinephroectomy for adrenal pheochromocytoma in January 2003. Abdominal computed tomography demonstrated multiple enhancing lesions suggestive of metastases; thus splenectomy was performed. Pathological examinations confirmed the diagnosis of splenic metastases from pheochromocytoma. The patient was alive without recurrence 48 months after splenectomy. This study is the first report on splenic metastasis from previous adrenal pheochromocytoma, and long-term survival was achieved by splenectomy. A history of malignancy indicates a high index of suspicion for splenic metastasis, and long-term survival can be achieved by splenectomy for spleen-only metastasis.