Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39956584›Full record

ReviewEndocrine journal2025

Pheochromocytoma associated with ectopic ACTH-producing tumor and hyper-interleukin-6emia: a case report with review of literature.

Hironori Nakahira, Shozo Miyauchi, Kyoko Watanabe, Kazuyuki Akesaka, Keizo Ono, Osamu Ebisui, Teruki Miyake, Shinya Furukawa, Yoichi Hiasa, Bunzo Matsuura

Abstract readCase ReportsReview
In one paragraph

Review in Endocrine journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Case 24: A 42-Year-Old Woman With Fever and Shock.Journal of Korean medical science · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Hironori NakahiraClinical Training Center, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Ehime 790-0024, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-4373-5442
Shozo MiyauchiDepartment of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Ehime 790-0024, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3510-8156
Kyoko WatanabeDepartment of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Ehime 790-0024, Japan.
Kazuyuki AkesakaDepartment of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Ehime 790-0024, Japan.
Keizo OnoDepartment of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Ehime 790-0024, Japan.
Osamu EbisuiDepartment of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Ehime 790-0024, Japan.
Teruki MiyakeDepartment of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9905-5356
Shinya FurukawaHealth Services Center, Ehime University, Ehime 790-8577, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0041-7688
Yoichi HiasaDepartment of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4117-339X
Bunzo MatsuuraDepartment of Lifestyle-related Medicine and Endocrinology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7815-2512

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Pheochromocytomas occur in the adrenal medulla and present with various symptoms associated with excessive catecholamine production. Although pheochromocytomas associated with ectopic ACTH-producing tumors and hyper-interleukin-6emia (hyper-IL-6emia) have been reported, those associated with both diseases simultaneously have not been reported. In pheochromocytomas with ectopic ACTH-producing tumors and hyper-IL-6emia, the disease characteristics and relationship between each hormone and cytokine are unknown. Herein, we report a case of a 56-year-old woman with stroke whose computed tomography scans of the abdomen revealed a right adrenal tumor on systemic examination. Endocrinological examination revealed elevated plasma levels of catecholamines and their metabolites in the urine and elevated levels of plasma ACTH, serum cortisol, and serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, leading to a diagnosis of right pheochromocytoma and associated ectopic ACTH-producing tumor. Furthermore, hyper-IL-6emia was detected as a key indicator of anemia due to inflammatory hematopoietic disorders. The patient's general condition improved with drug therapy, including 1,000 mg/d of metyrapone, 2 mg/h of phentolamine, 8 mg/d of doxazosin, and systemic management. Dexamethasone suppression tests demonstrated suppressed serum cortisol and IL-6 levels, and dexamethasone dose-dependently increased plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline levels. These findings indicate that excess glucocorticoids play a stimulatory role in catecholamine secretion and a concentration-suppressive role in serum IL-6 levels in pheochromocytomas associated with ectopic ACTH-producing tumors and hyper-IL-6emia. The presence of rare comorbidities should be considered if the clinical findings cannot be explained by the pathophysiology of a pheochromocytoma alone because pheochromocytomas can be associated with the production of other hormones and cytokines.

Indexed as

ACTH Syndrome, EctopicAdrenal Gland NeoplasmsAdrenocorticotropic HormoneInterleukin-6PheochromocytomaFemaleHumansMiddle AgedAdrenocorticotropic HormoneInterleukin-6CatecholaminesEctopic adrenocorticotropic hormone-producing tumorHyper-interleukin-6emiaPheochromocytoma

Identifiers

PMID39956584
PMCPMC12171158

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.