Pontine hemorrhage in a patient with pheochromocytoma

A 24-year-old woman with a two-year history of hypertension was hospitalized for coma and quadriplegia secondary to pontine hemorrhage. A seven-year history of intermittent severe headaches, diaphoresis, and anxiety together with persistent severe hypertension led to the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. This unusual but devastating manifestation of pheochromocytoma illustrates the importance of excluding remedial forms of hypertension in young patients before initiating antihypertensive therapy.