Unrecognised pheochromocytoma in pregnancy discovered through metoclopramide-triggered hypertensive emergency.

PURPOSE: Pheochromocytoma, a catecholamine-secreting tumour leading to neurological and cardiovascular life-threatening conditions through hypertension crisis, occurs in 0.1-0.5% of hypertensive patients, but it is extremely rare in pregnancy (0.0018-0.006%). Some classes of drugs, even commonly used in pregnancy, can trigger catecholamine secretion, precipitating the clinical situation. MATERIALS AND METHODS AND RESULTS: We report a 33-year-old woman, gravida 2 para 1, with previous mild hypertension, was admitted to the emergency room, at 28 2/7 weeks of gestation due to headache, tachycardia and severe arterial hypertension (220/120 mm Hg) triggered by the antiemetic metoclopramide used for a week because of nausea. In the emergency room, a paradoxical rise in blood pressure followed intravenous labetalol infusion was observed. Both metoclopramide and labetalol-triggered hypertensive crisis raised the suspicion of an undiagnosed pheochromocytoma. Diagnostic work-up showed elevated normetanephrine urinary excretion ​​and a right adrenal pheochromocytoma by abdominal magnetic resonance imaging. Oral alpha-1 and beta-1-adrenergic antagonist and calcium-channel blocker were started. At 33-weeks of gestation, she underwent a caesarean section giving birth to a female child. Seven weeks later she underwent a video-laparoscopic right adrenalectomy which normalised her blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Both metoclopramide, a selective dopamine type-2 receptor antagonist and partial agonist of 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 receptor, and labetalol, a non-selective ß-adrenoreceptor-blocker with weak α1-adrenergic antagonism, exacerbated an acute hypertensive crisis revealing an unrecognised pheochromocytoma in a pregnant patient. Careful attention to potential drug-triggered catecholamine crises and especially early recognition of pheochromocytomas, are mandatory in hypertensive pregnant women. A missed or delayed diagnosis could result in catastrophic results affecting foetal and maternal outcomes.

Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy-Induced Gitelman-like Syndrome.

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is a molecular-targeted therapy in which a somatostatin analogue (a small peptide) is coupled with a radioligand so that the radiation dose is selectively administered to somatostatin receptor-expressing metastasized neuroendocrine tumors, particularly gastroenteropancreatic. Reported toxicities include myelotoxicity and nephrotoxicity, the latter manifesting as decreased kidney function, often developing months to years after treatment completion. We present a case of PRRT-induced kidney toxicity manifesting as a severe Gitelman-like tubulopathy with preserved kidney function. Because profound hypokalemia and hypocalcemia can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias, we highlight the necessity for careful monitoring of serum and urine electrolytes in patients receiving PRRT.

Case Report: Irreversible Watery Diarrhea, Severe Metabolic Acidosis, Hypokalemia and Achloridria Syndrome Related to Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Secreting Malignant Pheochromocytoma.

Background: Pheochromocytoma (PHEO) clinical manifestations generally mirror excessive catecholamines secretion; rarely the clinical picture may reflect secretion of other hormones. Watery diarrhea, hypokalemia and achlorhydria (WDHA) is a rare syndrome related to excessive secretion of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Clinical Case: A 73-year-old hypotensive man affected by adrenal PHEO presented with weight loss and watery diarrhea associated with hypokalemia, hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis (anion gap 15 mmol/l) and a negative urinary anion gap. Abdominal computed tomography scan showed a right adrenal PHEO, 8.1 cm in maximum diameter, with tracer uptake on 68GaDOTA-octreotate positron emission tomography. Metastasis in lumbar region and lung were present. Both chromogranin A and VIP levels were high (more than10 times the normal value) with slightly elevated urine normetanephrine and metanephrine excretion. Right adrenalectomy was performed and a somatostatin analogue therapy with lanreotide started. Immunostaining showed chromogranin A and VIP co-expression, with weak somatostatin-receptor-2A positivity. In two months, patient clinical conditions deteriorated with severe WDHA and multiple liver and lung metastasis. Metabolic acidosis and hypokalemia worsened, leading to hemodynamic shock and exitus. Conclusions: A rare case of WDHA syndrome caused by malignant VIP-secreting PHEO was diagnosed. High levels of circulating VIP were responsible of the rapidly evolving clinical picture with massive dehydration and weight loss along with severe hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis and hypokalemia due to the profuse untreatable diarrhea. The rescue treatment with lanreotide was unsuccessful because of the paucity of somatostatin-receptor-2A on VIP-secreting PHEO chromaffin cells.

Plasma Exchange for the Treatment of Transient Extreme Hypertriglyceridemia Associated with Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Acute Pancreatitis.

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can quite frequently present in association with acute pancreatitis (AP) caused by transient severe hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). Here we report the case of a patient presenting with DKA, severe HTG and AP who received urgent plasma exchange for HTG control, and who reached adequate serum triglyceride levels only after appropriate DKA management. The treatment of patients presenting with DKA and coexistent AP associated with severe HTG should focus first on appropriate DKA management. Plasma exchange as a treatment for severe HTG in patients with DKA and AP should be evaluated carefully. LEARNING POINTS: The treatment of patients presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis, acute pancreatitis and severe hypertriglyceridemia should focus first on diabetic ketoacidosis management.Plasma exchange as a treatment for severe hypertriglyceridemia in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis and acute pancreatitis should be evaluated carefully.Triglyceride concentrations should always be measured in case of diabetic ketoacidosis.

Severe Milk-Alkali Syndrome in a Patient with Hypoparathyroidism Associated with 1,25(OH)2D, Hydrochlorothiazide and Anthranoid Laxative Consumption.

BACKGROUND: Milk-alkali syndrome is a life-threatening condition defined by the triad of hypercalcaemia, metabolic alkalosis and acute renal failure, and is associated with consumption of calcium and absorbable alkali. METHODS: We report the case of a patient admitted to a step-down unit of a large hospital in Italy. RESULTS: The patient was a 59-year-old woman with hypoparathyroidism and mild chronic kidney insufficiency, treated for a preceding episode of hypocalcaemia with high doses of calcitriol and calcium carbonate, who was also taking hydrochlorothiazide and unreported herbal anthranoid laxatives. The patient was admitted to hospital with severe hypercalcaemia, severe metabolic alkalosis and acute renal insufficiency. The patient was successfully treated with urgent dialysis, loop diuretics and calcitonin administration. CONCLUSIONS: This case underlines the need for caution when treating patients with impaired calcium metabolism regulation, and suggests that herbal anthranoid laxatives might act as triggers for milk-alkali syndrome. LEARNING POINTS: Patients with hypoparathyroidism are more prone to develop milk-alkali syndrome.Patients need careful follow-up and review of their need for calcium supplements.Non-prescription and complementary medicines can aggravate hypercalcaemia.

A Case of Moderate Sprue-Like Enteropathy Associated With Telmisartan.

Sprue-like enteropathy associated with olmesartan medoxomil use has been recently reported. Its clinical manifestations include diarrhea, weight loss and malabsorption. Duodenal biopsies show villous atrophy (VA) with or without intraepithelial lymphocytosis and inflammation of the lamina propria. Serology for celiac disease (CD) is negative and gluten-free diet does not result in clinical improvement. Symptoms resolve after olmesartan discontinuation. Follow-up biopsies show recovery/improvement of the duodenum. Whether sprue-like enteropathy is a specific adverse reaction to olmesartan or rather a class effect of angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) remains a controversial issue. We report a case of sprue-like enteropathy associated with telmisartan. A 52-year-old man presented with chronic diarrhea, abdominal discomfort and significant weight loss. In the last 3 years, he had been treated with telmisartan 40 mg/day for hypertension after right adrenalectomy for an aldosterone-producing adenoma. Laboratory investigations showed no significant abnormalities: Hb 13.6 g/dL, serum albumin 3.9 g/dL, total cholesterol 193 mg/dL, serum creatinine 0.99 mg/dL, sodium 143.6 mmol/L, K+ 4.3 mmol/L, calcium 9.3 mg/dL, phosphorus 3.9 mg/dL and 25-OH-D3 27.7 ng/mL. Duodenal histology showed subtotal VA and inflammation of the lamina propria. CD serology was negative. HLA-DQ typing showed absence of the DQ2/DQ8 haplotypes. After telmisartan discontinuation, patient's symptoms subsided, and his body weight increased despite persistence of a gluten-containing diet. Follow-up biopsies at 3 showed progressive duodenal recovery. Very few cases of sprue-like enteropathy associated with ARBs other than olmesartan have been reported. Our case of telmisartan-associated enteropathy further suggests that sprue-like disease may be a class effect of ARBs.

Methotrexate versus cyclophosphamide for remission maintenance in ANCA-associated vasculitis: A randomised trial.

OBJECTIVES: The treatment of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is based on remission-induction and remission-maintenance. Methotrexate is a widely used immunosuppressant but only a few studies explored its role for maintenance in AAV. This trial investigated the efficacy and safety of methotrexate as maintenance therapy for AAV. METHODS: In this single-centre, open-label, randomised trial we compared methotrexate and cyclophosphamide for maintenance in AAV. We enrolled patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), the latter with poor-prognosis factors and/or peripheral neuropathy. Remission was induced with cyclophosphamide. At remission, the patients were randomised to receive methotrexate or to continue with cyclophosphamide for 12 months; after treatment, they were followed for another 12 months. The primary end-point was relapse; secondary end-points included renal outcomes and treatment-related toxicity. RESULTS: Of the 94 enrolled patients, 23 were excluded during remission-induction or did not achieve remission; the remaining 71 were randomised to cyclophosphamide (n = 33) or methotrexate (n = 38). Relapse frequencies at months 12 and 24 after randomisation were not different between the two groups (p = 1.00 and 1.00). Relapse-free survival was also comparable (log-rank test p = 0.99). No differences in relapses were detected between the two treatments when GPA+MPA and EGPA were analysed separately. There were no differences in eGFR at months 12 and 24; proteinuria declined significantly (from diagnosis to month 24) only in the cyclophosphamide group (p = 0.0007). No significant differences in adverse event frequencies were observed. CONCLUSIONS: MTX may be effective and safe for remission-maintenance in AAV. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NCT00751517.

Total gastrectomy for rare refractory gastroparesis in patient with syringomyelia: A good impact on quality of life.

Syringomyelia is a chronic progressive disease of the spinal cord. In symptomatic patients, bilateral sensory motor signs and symptoms prevail, moreover they can develop gastrointestinal disorders, although few studies have succeeded in explaining this correlation so far. We report a case of a 67-year-old woman with a history of pain in the back-lumbar spine and lower limbs, paresthesia and urinary incontinence. MRI revealed syringomyelia, extended from T3 to the medullary cone. Neurological picture was worsened by progressive and increasingly debilitating gastrointestinal symptoms refractory to dietary changes and medical treatment. Blood tests, gastrointestinal investigations and imaging were all normal apart from scintigraphy which confirmed delayed gastric emptying. The neurological symptoms disappeared after removal of an hemangioblastoma of the medullary cone. The persistent gastroparesis was treated by total gastrectomy with complete resolution of the patient's gastrointestinal symptoms.

"Late" regressions of metastases from renal cancer after a period of disease progression continuing the same intermittent low dose immunotherapy regimen.

We here describe two patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) treated with immunotherapy in whom the metastases completely regressed after a period of progressive disease. The treatment schedule was based on repeated cycles of low-dose recombinant interleukin-2 and recombinant interferon-alpha, and was never changed during the course of the disease. The first patient received immunotherapy because of multiple bilateral lung metastases. Progressive disease, with mediastinal lymph node involvement and an increased number of lung metastases, was observed after 30 months of regularly repeated therapy; complete regression was achieved after 60 months of immunotherapy (after 16 immunotherapy cycles). The second patient began immunotherapy because of three small lung metastases. Disease progression was observed after three cycles, but complete regression was obtained about 16 months after the start of immunotherapy (after 5 immunotherapy cycles). Long-term low-dose immunotherapy may bring about an effective anti-tumour response even late in the course of the disease and after an initial disease progression.

Hypertension-induced posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome as the presentation of progressive bilateral renal artery stenosis.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is characterized clinically by headache, altered mental status, visual loss, and seizures. PRES is associated with neuroradiological findings characterized by white matter abnormalities, predominantly in the parieto-occipital regions of the brain. PRES is most often described in cases of hypertensive encephalopathy, eclampsia, renal failure, and immunosuppressive or anticancer therapy. We report a case of PRES associated with severe hypertension in the setting of a progressive renovascular hypertension from bilateral atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. The pathogenesis of PRES is discussed and the importance of a prompt diagnosis and treatment is emphasized.

Intraprocedural cortisol measurement increases adrenal vein sampling success rate in primary aldosteronism.

BACKGROUND: Adrenal venous sampling (AVS) is the gold standard for the identification of unilateral primary aldosteronism (PA), but is technically difficult. The aim of our study was to assess whether intraprocedural cortisol measurement (IPCM) increases AVS success rate. METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive PA patients underwent cosyntropin-stimulated AVS. Cortisol was measured immediately in a first set of samples drawn from adrenal veins and inferior vena cava. The selectivity criterion was an adrenal vein-to-inferior vena cava cortisol ratio ≥5. If bilateral selectivity was not achieved in a first set of samples, a second set was obtained during the same radiological session. PA was judged as unilateral if the gradient of cortisol-corrected aldosterone between dominant and nondominant side was >3.5. Twenty-five consecutive PA patients who had previously been submitted to AVS without IPCM served as historical controls. Lateralizing patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy were followed for 2 years after surgery. RESULTS: Bilateral selectivity using IPCM was achieved in 19/25 patients in the first set of samples, and in an additional four cases in the second set (92% vs. 76%; P = 0.06). The final rate of bilateral selectivity was higher than that obtained in the historical series (23/25 vs. 16/25, P = 0.04), whereas bilateral selectivity in the first set of samples was not different from that achieved in the historical series. Nineteen lateralizing patients (13 of the present series, six of the historical series) were submitted to adrenalectomy, resulting in reversal of PA. CONCLUSIONS: IPCM increases the success rate of AVS.

A clinical phenotype mimicking essential hypertension in a newly discovered family with Liddle's syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Liddle's syndrome (LS) is a monogenic form of hypertension simulating a mineralocorticoid excess, and is currently suspected in young hypokalemic hypertensives. The aims of the study were: (i) to evaluate the clinical phenotype of LS in a newly identified Italian family of Sicilian origin carrying a gain-of-function mutation of the ß subunit of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) (P617L) previously reported by our group in an apparently unrelated Sicilian patient presenting the typical phenotype of LS including hypokalemia; (ii) to determine whether an unknown biological relationship exists between the newly identified family and the family of the proband previously reported. METHODS: Genetic analysis was performed in the present family, in the individual in which the ßP617L mutation was first observed, and in his relatives. RESULTS: ßP617L mutation was identified in the proband and in three maternal relatives. None of them showed hypokalemia. Mild to severe early onset hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy were present in all of them. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome profiles in the present family and in the proband's family previously reported showed the absence of a relationship between them. The availability of only one carrier of the mutation in one of the two families meant that a genetic analysis able to assess a founder effect was not feasible. CONCLUSIONS: LS should be considered in all cases of early onset hypertension, independently of the plasma potassium concentration. The incidence of LS may be greater than is currently thought, because hypokalemia is not invariably present.