Endocrinology Book

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Pheochromocytoma

Aka: Pheochromocytoma, Paroxysmal Hypertension
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  1. Definition
    1. Catecholamine secreting tumor of the Adrenal Gland
  2. Epidemiology
    1. Incidence: Rare
    2. Peak ages: 30-60 years
    3. Equal male and female predominance
  3. Presentation: Classic Episodes
    1. Predominant Symptoms
      1. Headache
      2. Diaphoresis or Sweating
      3. Palpitations
    2. Associated Symptoms
      1. Anxiety
      2. Tremor
      3. Pallor
      4. Chest Pain
      5. Epigastric Pain
      6. Flushing (rare)
      7. Painless Hematuria (rare)
    3. Timing of episodes
      1. Duration: One hour or less
      2. Frequency: daily to once every few months
  4. Presentation: Other
    1. Hyperadrenergic spells (see classic episodes above)
    2. Resistant Hypertension
    3. Malignant or intra-operative Hypertension
    4. Family History of Pheochromocytoma or predisposing syndromes (e.g. MEN 2, NF1, VHL. SDH)
    5. Premature Hypertension (age under 20 years)
    6. Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy
  5. Diagnostic Clues
    1. Six "H's"
      1. Hypertension
      2. Headache - throbbing (90%)
      3. Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating (69%)
      4. Heart consciousness or Palpitations (73%)
      5. Hypermetabolism
      6. Hyperglycemia
    2. Rule of 10
      1. Familial (10%)
      2. Malignant (10%)
      3. Multiple or Bilateral (10%)
      4. Extra-adrenal (10%)
      5. Childhood onset (10%)
      6. Recurrence after Surgery (10%)
  6. Differential Diagnosis
    1. Primary Aldosteronism
    2. Carcinoid
    3. Accelerated or Malignant Hypertension
    4. Illicit, OTC or prescribed Sympathomimetic medications
    5. Chemodectoma
    6. Ganglioneuroma
    7. Thyrotoxicosis
    8. Menopause
    9. Panic Disorder
    10. Antihypertensive withdrawal (e.g. Clonidine withdrawal)
  7. Labs: Preparation
    1. Stop any interfering medications
      1. Labetalol (stop for 1 week)
      2. Tricyclic Antidepressant (stop for 2 weeks)
      3. Psychoactive medications (stop for weeks)
      4. Levodopa or Methyldopa
      5. Decongestants
      6. Benzodiazepines
      7. Muscle relaxants (mephenasin, Methocarbamol)
      8. Avoid Tylenol for 48 hours
      9. Avoid Aspirin
    2. Stop other interfering agents
      1. No Caffeine, Alcohol or Tobacco for 4 hours
      2. Tomatoes
      3. Walnuts
      4. Pineapple
      5. Banana
      6. Eggplant
      7. Avocado
      8. Plums
  8. Labs: Available Tests
    1. Best studies
      1. Urine Metanephrines (24 hour collections)
        1. Use as first line screening
        2. Test Sensitivity: 76%
        3. Test Specificity: 94%
      2. Plasma Free Metanephrines
        1. Very high false positive rate (Pheochromocytoma is rare)
        2. Use only for confirmation, not for screening
        3. Test Sensitivity: 99%
        4. Test Specificity: 89%
    2. Tests with lower efficacy
      1. Urinary VMA
        1. Normal value under 6.5 mg/day
        2. Imprecise test
        3. Drugs and food interfere with test
        4. Test Sensitivity: 63%
        5. Test Specificity: 94%
      2. Plasma Catecholamines (Norepinephrine, Epinephrine)
        1. Test Sensitivity: 85%
        2. Test Specificity: 80%
  9. Labs: Protocol
    1. First: 24-hour Urine Metanephrine and Urine VMA
    2. Next: Plasma Free Metanephrines
    3. Next: Plasma Catecholamines (equivocal metanephrines)
    4. Final: Clonidine Suppression (positive Catecholamines)
  10. Radiology: Tumor localization
    1. Adrenal CT or Adrenal MRI
      1. Test Sensitivity: 93 to 100%
      2. Test Specificity: 70%
    2. MIGB Scan (metaiodobenzyl-guanidine)
      1. Test Sensitivity: 77 to 90%
      2. Test Specificity: 95 to 100%
      3. Good for looking for tumors in unusual places
  11. Management
    1. Preoperative Medical Management
      1. Alpha Adrenergic Receptor antagonist (2 weeks pre-op)
        1. Phenoxybenzamine PO bid
        2. Phentolamine IV prn
      2. Beta Blocker (only start after alpha blockade)
        1. Propranolol PO qid
    2. Surgical Management
      1. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy Indications
        1. Single, small adrenal tumors
        2. Hypertension controlled
      2. Open Adrenalectomy
        1. Adrenal tumor size over 7 cm
    3. Intra-Operative Management
      1. Continuous Arterial-line Blood Pressure Monitoring
      2. Treat Hypotension
        1. Fluid management
        2. Consider pressor support
      3. Treat Hypertension
        1. Phentolamine
        2. Nitroprusside
      4. Treat Tachycardia or ectopy
        1. Beta Blocker
    4. Adjunctive treatment for malignant Pheochromocytoma
      1. Chemotherapy
        1. Cyclophosphamide
        2. Dacarbazine
        3. Vincristine
      2. MIGB (metaiodobenzyl-guanidine I-131)
      3. Metyrosine 1 gram every 6 hours
        1. Depletes tumor Catecholamine stores
  12. Course
    1. Persistent Hypertension in 25% of treated patients
  13. Monitoring
    1. Screen Urine Metanephrines annually
    2. Screen Urine Catecholamines annually
  14. References
    1. Bailey (2001) CMEA Medicine Lecture, San Diego
    2. (Feb 2001) Ann Intern Med

Pheochromocytoma (C0031511)

Definition (CHV) A usually benign, well-encapsulated, lobular, vascular tumor of chromaffin tissue of the ADRENAL MEDULLA
Definition (CHV) A usually benign, well-encapsulated, lobular, vascular tumor of chromaffin tissue of the ADRENAL MEDULLA
Definition (CHV) A usually benign, well-encapsulated, lobular, vascular tumor of chromaffin tissue of the ADRENAL MEDULLA
Definition (CHV) A usually benign, well-encapsulated, lobular, vascular tumor of chromaffin tissue of the ADRENAL MEDULLA
Definition (CHV) A usually benign, well-encapsulated, lobular, vascular tumor of chromaffin tissue of the ADRENAL MEDULLA
Definition (MEDLINEPLUS)

Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor that usually starts in the cells of one of your adrenal glands. Although they are usually benign, pheochromocytomas often cause the adrenal gland to make too many hormones. This can lead to high blood pressure and cause symptoms such as

  • Headaches
  • Sweating
  • Pounding of the heart
  • Chest pain
  • A feeling of anxiety

Sometimes pheochromocytoma is part of another condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome (MEN). People with MEN often have other cancers and other problems involving hormones.

Surgery is the most common treatment. Other options include radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

NIH: National Cancer Institute
Definition (NCI) Tumor that forms in the center of the adrenal gland (gland located above the kidney) that causes it to make too much adrenaline. Pheochromocytomas are usually benign (not cancer) but can cause high blood pressure, pounding headaches, heart palpitations, flushing of the face, nausea, and vomiting.
Definition (MSH) A usually benign, well-encapsulated, lobular, vascular tumor of chromaffin tissue of the ADRENAL MEDULLA or sympathetic paraganglia. The cardinal symptom, reflecting the increased secretion of EPINEPHRINE and NOREPINEPHRINE, is HYPERTENSION, which may be persistent or intermittent. During severe attacks, there may be HEADACHE; SWEATING, palpitation, apprehension, TREMOR; PALLOR or FLUSHING of the face, NAUSEA and VOMITING, pain in the CHEST and ABDOMEN, and paresthesias of the extremities. The incidence of malignancy is as low as 5% but the pathologic distinction between benign and malignant pheochromocytomas is not clear. (Dorland, 27th ed; DeVita Jr et al., Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology, 3d ed, p1298)
Definition (CSP) usually benign, well-encapsulated, lobular, vascular tumor of chromaffin tissue of the adrenal medulla or sympathetic paraganglia; the cardinal symptom, reflecting the increased secretion of epinephrine and norepinephrine, is hypertension, which may be persistent or intermittent.
Definition (NCI) A benign or malignant neuroendocrine neoplasm of the sympathetic nervous system that secretes catecholamines. It arises from the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. Clinical presentation includes headaches, palpitations, chest and abdominal pain, hypertension, fever, and tremor. Microscopically, a characteristic nesting (zellballen) growth pattern is usually seen. Other growth patterns including trabecular pattern may also be present.
Concepts Neoplastic Process (T191)
MSH D010673
ICD10 M8700/0
SnomedCT 302835009, 85583005, 399343007, 360335004, 360332001, 154555009, 188337000, 269615000
English Pheochromocytomas, CHROMAFFINOMA, MEDULLARY, PARAGANGLIOMA, MEDULLARY, PHAEOCHROMOCYTOMA, Pheochromocytoma, NOS, Phaeochromocytoma, NOS, Adrenal Medullary Paraganglioma, Adrenal Medullary Pheochromocytoma, Adrenal Pheochromocytoma, Intraadrenal Paraganglioma, Chromaffin Paraganglioma of the Adrenal Gland, Adrenal Gland Chromaffin Paraganglioma, Adrenal Gland Chromaffinoma, Adrenal Gland Paraganglioma, Adrenal Gland Pheochromocytoma, PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA, Pheochromocytoma, adrenal, Pheochromocytoma syndrome, [M]Pheochromocytoma NOS, Phaeochromocytoma NOS, Pheochromocytoma NOS, chromaffinoma, Pheochromocytoma [Disease/Finding], chromaffin tumor, pheochromocytoma syndrome, pheochromocytomas, phaeochromocytoma, Chromaffin paraganglioma, Chromaffin tumor, Chromaffinoma, Chromaffin tumour, Phaeochromocytoma, [M]Phaeochromocytoma NOS, Chromaffinoma (disorder), Adrenal medullary paraganglioma, Pheochromocytoma (disorder), Pheochromocytoma (morphologic abnormality), pheochromocytoma, Chromaffin paraganglioma (disorder), Phaeochromocytoma (disorder), Phaeochromocytoma [Ambiguous], Pheochromocytoma, PCC
French PHEOCHROMOCYTOME, Chromaffinome, Phéochromocytome
Portuguese FEOCROMOCITOMA, Feocromocitoma, Feocromocitoma Extra-Adrenal
Spanish FEOCROMOCITOMA, Pheochromocytoma, Phaeochromocytoma, cromafinoma (trastorno), cromafinoma, feocromocitoma (anomalía morfológica), feocromocitoma (trastorno), feocromocitoma, SAI, feocromocitoma, paraganglioma cromafín, paraganglioma de células argentafines (trastorno), paraganglioma de células argentafines, paraganglioma de células cromafines, tumor cromafín, tumor de células cromafines, Feocromocitoma
German PHAEOCHROMOZYTOM, Phaeochromozytom, Phäochromozytom
Swedish Feokromocytom
Japanese ｶｯｼｮｸｻｲﾎﾞｳｼｭ, 褐色細胞腫, かっ色細胞腫, クロム親和細胞腫, クロム親和性細胞腫, 髄質細胞腫, 好クロム性細胞腫
Czech feochromocytom, Feochromocytom
Finnish Feokromosytooma
Russian FEOKHROMOBLASTOMA, OPUKHOL' KHROMAFINNAIA, KHROMAFFINOMA, FEOKHROMOTSITOMA, ОПУХОЛЬ ХРОМАФИННАЯ, ФЕОХРОМОБЛАСТОМА, ФЕОХРОМОЦИТОМА, ХРОМАФФИНОМА
Croatian FEOKROMOCITOM
Polish Przyzwojak chromochłonny, Guz chromochłonny nadnerczy, Pheochromocytoma, Barwiak
Hungarian Phaeochromocytoma, Phaeocromocytoma
Dutch feochromocytoom, Feochromocytoom
Italian Feocromocitoma
Sources
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)


Paroxysmal hypertension (C0221154)

Concepts Sign or Symptom (T184)
SnomedCT 23130000
English HYPERTENSION, PAROXYSMAL, Hypertension, paroxysmal, paroxysmal hypertension (physical finding), paroxysmal hypertension, paroxysmal hypertension was observed, Hypertension paroxysmal, Paroxysmal hypertension, Paroxysmal hypertension (disorder), Paroxysmal Hypertension
Dutch paroxysmale hypertensie
French Hypertension paroxystique
German Hypertonie, paroxysmal
Italian Ipertensione parossistica
Portuguese Hipertensão paroxística
Spanish Hipertensión paroxística, hipertensión arterial paroxística (trastorno), hipertensión arterial paroxística
Japanese 発作性高血圧, ﾎｯｻｾｲｺｳｹﾂｱﾂ
Czech Paroxysmální hypertenze
Hungarian Paroxysmalis hypertonia
Sources
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)


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