Case report: Significant liver atrophy due to giant cystic pheochromocytoma

Qingbo Feng; Hancong Li; Guoteng Qiu; Zhaolun Cai; Jiaxin Li; Yong Zeng; Jiwei Huang

doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.987705

Case report: Significant liver atrophy due to giant cystic pheochromocytoma

Front Oncol. 2022 Aug 30:12:987705. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.987705. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Qingbo Feng¹, Hancong Li², Guoteng Qiu¹, Zhaolun Cai³, Jiaxin Li¹, Yong Zeng¹, Jiwei Huang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
² West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
³ Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Pheochromocytoma is a neuroendocrine tumor originating from chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla. Giant pheochromocytomas with a maximum diameter of over 20 cm are particularly rare.

Case presentation: We present a case of giant cystic pheochromocytoma in a 64-year-old woman who was found to have a right abdominal mass during an ultrasound examination, which is the largest pheochromocytoma ever documented in China. Meanwhile, obvious atrophy of the right lobe of the liver was found in preoperative CT and during the operation. Our literature review identified 20 cases with a diameter of over 20 cm. The average age at diagnosis was 51.7 (range 17-85), and 35% of cases did not exhibit classic symptoms.

Conclusion: Giant pheochromocytoma is an uncommon neoplasm. It can be discovered late due to a lack of clinical manifestations. Diagnosis is dependent on imaging recognition together with catecholamine secretion. Surgical resection is the only curative treatment for such tumors.

Keywords: case report; giant cystic pheochromocytoma; literature review; liver atrophy; surgery.

Publication types

Case Reports