Elevated Calcitonin Levels in a Patient With a Pheochromocytoma: A Case Report

Elevated calcitonin and catecholamine levels in patients with adrenal masses and thyroid nodules are suspicious for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A. Here, we present an interesting case with elevated catecholamines, thyroid nodules, and hypercalcitoninemia. A 46-year-old woman with complaint of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American surgeon 2023-12, Vol.89 (12), p.6227-6229
Main Authors: Shihabi, Areej, Issa, Peter P., Cironi, Katherine, Omar, Mahmoud, Abdelgawad, Mohamed, Kandil, Emad
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdominal Pain
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - diagnosis
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - pathology
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - surgery
Calcitonin
Catecholamines
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a - diagnosis
Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2a - surgery
Pheochromocytoma - diagnosis
Pheochromocytoma - pathology
Pheochromocytoma - surgery
Thyroid Neoplasms - diagnosis
Thyroid Neoplasms - pathology
Thyroid Neoplasms - surgery
Thyroid Nodule
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Elevated calcitonin and catecholamine levels in patients with adrenal masses and thyroid nodules are suspicious for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A. Here, we present an interesting case with elevated catecholamines, thyroid nodules, and hypercalcitoninemia. A 46-year-old woman with complaint of abdominal pain was recently hospitalized. Abdominal computed tomography elicited a 7 cm left adrenal mass. Upon presentation to our clinic, the patient complained of abdominal pain, nausea, and diaphoresis. Laboratory studies showed elevated catecholamines, and a pheochromocytoma was subsequently diagnosed. Further evaluation elicited elevated calcitonin levels and a suspicious 3 cm left thyroid nodule, inciting concern for medullary thyroid carcinoma. The patient underwent an uneventful robot-assisted laparoscopic left adrenalectomy. Surgical pathology confirmed a pheochromocytoma. Post-operative calcitonin levels resolved to within normal range. The patient elected to undergo a left hemithyroidectomy. Surgical pathology confirmed calcitonin-negative nodular hyperplasia, negative for malignancy. The patient’s diagnosis was confined to a pheochromocytoma. Clinicians should investigate high calcitonin levels associated with a pheochromocytoma as it may not always be ascribed to the thyroid.
ISSN:0003-1348
1555-9823
DOI:10.1177/00031348221117035