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Background: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a therapeutic target to combat obesity and related disorders. Pheochromocytoma and functional paraganglioma (PPGL) are associated with activated BAT due to catecholamine excess. Our aim was to evaluate BAT activity by gene profile and assess its relation to clinical characteristics and overproduced catecholamine. Methods: mRNA expression of 15 genes in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was measured via RT-PCR in 25 patients with PPGL and 14 controls undergoing cholecystectomy. Results: We found in VAT of PPGL higher expression of <i>UCP1</i> (<i>p</i> < 0.001), <i>CEBPB</i>, <i>PPARGC1A</i> (both <i>p</i> < 0.001), <i>PRDM16</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.069) and <i>DIO2</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.005). <i>UCP1</i> expression correlated only with norepinephrine levels and its metabolite. <i>UCP1</i> expression, among others, correlated negatively with BMI, age and positively with HDLc levels. Dominance of BAT or BeAT markers was not assessed in PPGL. In SAT of PPGL, we found higher expression of <i>ADRB3</i>, <i>CIDEA</i> (both <i>p</i> < 0.05), and <i>PPARGC1A</i> (<i>p</i> = 0.001), but not <i>UCP1</i>. Conclusion: We demonstrate signs of <i>UCP1</i>-dependent norepinephrine-induced thermogenesis connected with higher expression of <i>DIO2</i>, <i>PPARGC1A</i>, <i>CEBPB</i> and <i>PRDM16</i> in retroperitoneal VAT of PPGL and its relations to circulating HDLc and triglycerides levels. However, no direct relationship with increased basal energy metabolism measured by calorimetry was found.