ABSTRACT

Pheochromocytoma is an endocrine tumor characterized by severe hypertension associated with cerebral, cardiac, and renal complications, hypotension or even shock and sudden de-ath. Most pheochromocytoma cases remain obscene clinically, fatal outcome is mostly related with such misdiagnosis.

A 17-year-old girl with a history of chronic headache who had not been evaluated clinically died unexpectedly. The au-topsy performed in the mortuary section of the council of fo-rensic medicine revealed a pheochromocytoma and intraventri- cular cerebral bleeding. This case accentuates that pheochro-mocytomas, if remaining undiagnosed, may prove fatal.