Pheochromocytoma Rare Cause of Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Case Report from Cameroon

Pheochromocytoma (PHEO) is a rare endocrine tumor from the chromaffin cells in the adrenomedullary gland and sympathetic/parasympathetic ganglia, secreting one or more catecholamines. It is frequently associated with hypertension and described in the literature as a cause of secondary diabetes mellitus. In patients with known persistent uncontrolled diabetes, PHEO is rarely mentioned as the cause of uncontrolled diabetes. The authors report a rare case of PHEO diagnosed in a 64-year-old female patient treated for 10 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension. She was treated using a combination of insulin (2 injections) and Metformin 1000 mg twice a day. The glycemic control was poor (HbA1c-11%), and persistent High Blood Pressure (HBP). She presented with unexplained weight loss associated with permanent hyperhidrosis (sweating), affecting her quality of life and diffuse abdominal pain. The investigations confirmed the diagnosis of PHEO, which resection led to improvement of glycemic control and hypertension.