Rare association of aortoarteritis and pheochromocytoma: A case report

Pheochromocytoma is an uncommon but treatable cause of secondary hypertension, it may present with a wide variety of manifestations. The coexistence of pheochromocytoma and vascular abnormalities is described but rarely reported entity.

A 36-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for severe hypertension, examination revealed absent femoral pulses with notion of intermittent claudication. Abdominal computed tomography revealed the presence of a right adrenal pheochromocytoma. CT angiogram showed thickening of the thoracoabdominal aortic wall and the proximal portions of some of its branches with stenosis of more than 50% of the origin of the celiac trunk, bilateral occlusion of the external iliac arteries and trunk stenosis of the right renal artery. The Pheochromocytoma was surgically removed.

Coexistence of pheyochromocytoma and vascular abnormalities especially renal artery stenosis and aortoarteritis seems to be an association rather than a coincidence.

To the best of our knowledge, the coexistence of pheochromocytoma along with both aortoarteritis and renal artery stenosis has not been reported thus far. The diagnosis, management and potential mechanisms underlying such an association will be discussed in this case.