Thoracic spine metastasis presenting 18 years after complete resection of a phaeochromocytoma

Phaeochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumours (NET) with malignant behaviour in about 10% of cases. The median time from the diagnosis of primary tumour and bone metastasisis 3.4 years. We report a case of a 66-year-old woman presenting with a hypertensive crisisand back pain. She has a history of a phaeochromocytoma completely resected 18 years before. MRI showed a neoplastic mass on the 10th thoracic vertebra(T10), with fracture and spinal cord compression. The CT-guided biopsy was consistent with metastasis of a NET. Therefore, she was treated with phenoxybenzamineand external beam radiotherapy. However, clinical (dorsal pain) and biochemical (ie, elevated chromograninA) signs suggested persistent disease and the patient was treated with iodine-131 metaiodobenzylguanidine and T10 kyphoplasty. After 8 years, she remains clinically stable. This case demonstrates that phaeochromocytomas may reveal malignant behaviour several years after diagnosis, and therefore patients should be maintained under long term surveillance.