Journal of Korean Society of Endocrinology  2003;18(2):227-231

A Case of Pheochromocytoma with Ganglioneuronal Differentiation Producing Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide.

Min Ah NA 1 ; Sang Soo KIM ; Dong Uk KIM ; Jae Hoon CHOI ; Tae Kun LEE ; Ok Nyu KONG ; Jun Hyeop AN ; Jee Yeon KIM ; Han Dong SUNG ; Chul Ho JOUNG ; Seok Man SON ; In Joo KIM ; Yong Ki KIM

Affiliations

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Keywords

Vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP); Pheochromocytoma

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP) is a 28-amino acid peptide, which may cause secretory diarrhea by stimulating the production of adenylate cyclase. Neuroendocrine tumors, secreting vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), are almost always of a pancreatic in origin. However, a pheochromocytoma may produce several neuropeptides, containing VIP, as they are considered to be neuroendocrine tumors. A 57-year-old woman, who presented with chronic watery diarrhea, hypokalemia, weight loss and a left adrenal mass, is described. Histologically, the tumor was diagnosed as a pheoch-romocytoma, with ganglioneuronal differentiation, and was histochemically confirmed to produce a vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. A left adrenal VIP-producing pheochromocytoma was successfully resected. After surgery, her diarrhea subsided and the electrolytes, affected neuroendocrine hormone levels, blood pressure and blood sugar level were normalized.