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Adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting phaeochromocytoma as a cause of treatment-resistant hypertension and recurrent pulmonary emboli

Vollmer, Shobitha LU orcid and Borg, Henrik LU (2023) In Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 53(4). p.278-282
Abstract

We report an unusual case of a patient presenting with Cushing’s syndrome caused by a phaeochromocytoma secreting adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The patient had a history of treatment-resistant hypertension, secondary amenorrhoea and tendency towards hypokalaemia. She had multiple signs of Cushing’s syndrome, such as swelling, bruising, abdominal striae and proximal myopathy. Hypokalaemia is more common in patients with ectopic ACTH-secretion than other causes of Cushing’s syndrome. Computed tomography, adrenal vein sampling and biochemistry could confirm an ACTH-secreting phaeochromocytoma. It is important to consider that hypersecretion of more than one hormone may exist in a unilateral adrenal adenoma. This patient also... (More)

We report an unusual case of a patient presenting with Cushing’s syndrome caused by a phaeochromocytoma secreting adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The patient had a history of treatment-resistant hypertension, secondary amenorrhoea and tendency towards hypokalaemia. She had multiple signs of Cushing’s syndrome, such as swelling, bruising, abdominal striae and proximal myopathy. Hypokalaemia is more common in patients with ectopic ACTH-secretion than other causes of Cushing’s syndrome. Computed tomography, adrenal vein sampling and biochemistry could confirm an ACTH-secreting phaeochromocytoma. It is important to consider that hypersecretion of more than one hormone may exist in a unilateral adrenal adenoma. This patient also presented with recurrent pulmonary emboli, and there is an increased risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with ACTH-secreting phaeochromocytoma. Anticoagulation should be considered for as long as the disease is active. We demonstrate that unilateral adrenalectomy can be curative in patients with ACTH-secreting phaeochromocytoma.

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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ACTH-secreting phaeochromocytoma, Cushing’s syndrome, phaeochromocytoma
in
Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
volume
53
issue
4
pages
278 - 282
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • pmid:37936283
  • scopus:85179337163
ISSN
1478-2715
DOI
10.1177/14782715231210605
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.
id
78cbeb2a-f05f-48bd-9b08-0ac836b6a64e
date added to LUP
2025-10-22 09:54:16
date last changed
2025-10-22 10:08:20
@article{78cbeb2a-f05f-48bd-9b08-0ac836b6a64e,
  abstract     = {{<p>We report an unusual case of a patient presenting with Cushing’s syndrome caused by a phaeochromocytoma secreting adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). The patient had a history of treatment-resistant hypertension, secondary amenorrhoea and tendency towards hypokalaemia. She had multiple signs of Cushing’s syndrome, such as swelling, bruising, abdominal striae and proximal myopathy. Hypokalaemia is more common in patients with ectopic ACTH-secretion than other causes of Cushing’s syndrome. Computed tomography, adrenal vein sampling and biochemistry could confirm an ACTH-secreting phaeochromocytoma. It is important to consider that hypersecretion of more than one hormone may exist in a unilateral adrenal adenoma. This patient also presented with recurrent pulmonary emboli, and there is an increased risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with ACTH-secreting phaeochromocytoma. Anticoagulation should be considered for as long as the disease is active. We demonstrate that unilateral adrenalectomy can be curative in patients with ACTH-secreting phaeochromocytoma.</p>}},
  author       = {{Vollmer, Shobitha and Borg, Henrik}},
  issn         = {{1478-2715}},
  keywords     = {{ACTH-secreting phaeochromocytoma; Cushing’s syndrome; phaeochromocytoma}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{278--282}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh}},
  title        = {{Adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting phaeochromocytoma as a cause of treatment-resistant hypertension and recurrent pulmonary emboli}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/14782715231210605}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/14782715231210605}},
  volume       = {{53}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}