Bilateral Pheochromocytoma in a Child Revealing Von Hippel-Lindau Disease
We report the case of a 14-year-old boy admitted with malignant hypertension, headaches, vomiting, and generalized seizures. Clinical, biochemical, and imaging evaluations revealed bilateral adrenal masses with elevated plasma metanephrines, consistent with bilateral pheochromocytoma. After preoperative preparation with an alpha-blocker, the patient underwent right adrenalectomy, and histopathological analysis confirmed a low-aggressive pheochromocytoma. Postoperatively, his blood pressure normalized, catecholamine levels returned to normal, and cardiac function improved. Genetic testing identified a pathogenic variant in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene, confirming the diagnosis of VHL disease. A 14-month follow-up showed clinical stability, no recurrence, and no additional tumors during systematic screening. This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis and genetic screening in pediatric pheochromocytoma, especially in bilateral cases, to guide treatment and long-term surveillance.
Authors
- Nadia Echcharii
- Nabila Chekhlabi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1547-4511)
- Amal Rami
- Nezha Dini
- Amal Miqdadi
Institutions
- University of Health Science (KH)
- University of Health Sciences (SO)
- International University (KH)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2025-05-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.84781
- Primary Topic
- Adrenal and Paraganglionic Tumors
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00