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Hypercalcitoninaemia in patients with pheochromocytoma

Hypercalcitoninämie in Patienten mit Phäochromocytom

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Zusammenfassung

Da Phäochromocytome in Kombination mit einem medullären Schilddrüsen-Carzinom auftreten können (multiple endokrine Adenomatose Typ II=Sipple-Syndrom), wurden bei 4 Patienten mit Phäochromocytomen die Serumcalcitoninspiegel radioimmunologisch bestimmt. Bei 2 der 4 Patienten fanden sich vor Operation des Nebennierenmarktumors deutlich erhöhte Calcitoninspiegel von 3 und 30 ng/ml. Nach Entfernung des Tumors normalisierten sich die Calcitoninspiegel, ebenso erzeugte die Pentagastrin-Stimulation keinen pathologischen Anstieg des Calcitonins. In salzsauren Extrakten aus den entsprechenden beiden Phäochromocytomen fand sich radioimmunologisch bestimmbares Calcitonin; die Werte betrugen 1und 4 ng/mg Frischgewicht. Der Nachweis einer Hypercalcitoninämie bei Patienten mit Phäochromocytomen läßt daher nicht unbedingt den Schluß auf ein gleichzeitig bestehendes medulläres Schilddrüsen-Carcinom zu, da offensichtlich Nebennierenmarktumoren zu Calcitoninproduktion und -sekretion fähig sind.

Summary

As pheochromocytoma sometimes is accompanied by medullary thyroid carcinoma (in the sense of multiple endocrine adonomatosis type II=Sipple-Syndrome), serum calcitonin (CT) was measured by radioimmunoassay in 4 patients with pheochromocytoma. Before extirpation of the adreno-medullary tumor, serum CT was distinctly increased to 3 and 30 ng/ml in 2 of 4 patients, respectively. After removal of the tumor, serum CT was normal in the patients and pentagastrin stimulation produced no exaggerated CT response. In hydrochloric acid extracts from the two corresponding pheochromocytoma tissues, immunoreactive-Calcitonin (IR-CT) was detected, the concentrations amounting 1 and 4 ng/mg wet tissue. These findings suggest that hypercalcitonism in patients with pheochromocytoma cannot always be ascribed to the thyroid, i.e. increased calcitonin levels do not necessarily indicate a medullary carcinoma of this organ.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism Center of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Dermatology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

    F. Raue, H. Minne &  R. Ziegler

  2. Deparment of Surgery (Prof. Dr. O. Gütgemann), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    J. M. Bayer

  3. Biomedical Center, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, Netherlands

    K. H. Rahn

  4. Department of Surgery I, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

    Ch. Herfarth

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  1. F. Raue
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  2. J. M. Bayer
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  3. K. H. Rahn
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  4. Ch. Herfarth
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  5. H. Minne
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  6. R. Ziegler
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Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 87

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Raue, F., Bayer, J.M., Rahn, K.H. et al. Hypercalcitoninaemia in patients with pheochromocytoma. Klin Wochenschr 56, 697–701 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02429104

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02429104

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