Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2015 Mar;7(3):199-201.
doi: 10.14740/jocmr2042w. Epub 2014 Dec 29.

An adrenal mass and increased catecholamines: monoamine oxidase or pheochromocytoma effect?

Marianne R F Bosscher  1 , Iris M Wentholt  2 , Mariette T Ackermans  3 , Els J M Nieveen van Dijkum  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

An adrenal mass and increased catecholamines: monoamine oxidase or pheochromocytoma effect?

Marianne R F Bosscher et al. J Clin Med Res. 2015 Mar.

Abstract

Hormonal evaluation in patients with an adrenal incidentaloma can be difficult in patients with comorbidities or in patients using interfering drugs. We present a case of a 54-year-old man who was evaluated for an adrenal mass. The medical history reported treatment with a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor for recurrent psychoses. Hormonal screening showed elevated levels of normetanephrine and metanephrine in plasma and urine, suggesting a diagnosis of pheochromocytoma (PHEO), and an adrenalectomy was performed. Histologic examination showed that the tumor had an origin of the adrenal cortex. MAO inhibitors are also known to cause elevated levels of catecholamines. In this case, a PHEO seemed more likely the cause due to repeatedly elevated levels of metanephrines and normal levels of catecholamines. Since the tumor had an origin of the adrenal cortex, the use of MAO inhibitors was the most likely explanation for the elevated levels of metanephrines. This case illustrated the difficulties in diagnosing PHEO, especially in patients with comorbidities and interfering drugs.

Keywords: Hormonal screening; MAO inhibitor; Pheochromocytoma; Pseudopheochromocytoma.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Abecassis M, McLoughlin MJ, Langer B, Kudlow JE. Serendipitous adrenal masses: prevalence, significance, and management. Am J Surg. 1985;149(6):783–788. doi: 10.1016/S0002-9610(85)80186-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. NIH state-of-the-science statement on management of the clinically inapparent adrenal mass ("incidentaloma") NIH Consens State Sci Statements. 2002;19(2):1–25. - PubMed
    1. Shen WT, Grogan R, Vriens M, Clark OH, Duh QY. One hundred two patients with pheochromocytoma treated at a single institution since the introduction of laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Arch Surg. 2010;145(9):893–897. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.2010.159. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kudva YC, Sawka AM, Young WF, Jr. Clinical review 164: The laboratory diagnosis of adrenal pheochromocytoma: the Mayo Clinic experience. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003;88(10):4533–4539. doi: 10.1210/jc.2003-030720. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barron J. Phaeochromocytoma: diagnostic challenges for biochemical screening and diagnosis. J Clin Pathol. 2010;63(8):669–674. doi: 10.1136/jcp.2009.071647. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources