Pheochromocytoma associated with Behçet's disease.

A 32-yr-old man was admitted to our clinic complaining chiefly of paroxysmal attacks of headaches and palpitations. He had had intermittent episodes of joint pains, erythema nodosum-like eruptions of the lower limbs, oral aphtha, and a fever lasting for three years. Ultrasonography, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanning showed a mass in the left adrenal gland. A diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was made from the elevated plasma and urinary catecholamines and abnormal uptake of 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine. The tumor was successfully removed, and the patient's plasma and urinary catecholamine levels returned to within the normal range. High fever, aphtha of the mouth, erythema of the lower extremities and genital ulcers were, however, frequently observed. A diagnosis of Behçet's disease was then established. The association of the pheochromocytoma with Behçet's disease was thought to be a chance one: to our knowlege, this has been the first case of a pheochromocytoma associated with Behçet's disease.