Association of pheochromocytoma with contralateral nonfunctioning adrenal adenoma

A 52-year-old woman complaining of abdominal pain, headaches and palpitations was admitted to our hospital for investigation of a bilateral adrenal tumor. Bilateral adrenalectomy was subsequently performed. The definitive diagnosis was right pheochromocytoma and left adrenocortical adenoma. Only four cases of pheochromocytoma associated with nonfunctioning adrenal adenoma have previously been reported. The coexistence of both entities is currently believed to be coincidental. Further examination of cases similar to ours might reveal the underlying mechanisms for the coexistence of these tumors.