title: Pheochromocytoma, a rare cause of hypertension: long-term follow-up of 55 surgically treated patients.
abstract: Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor that is found in only 0.1% of patients with diastolic hypertension. We analyze the results of our experience in management of pheochromocytomas and long-term results of its surgical treatment. From 1977 to 1996 we operated on 55 patients with a pheochromocytoma: 29 males and 27 females with an average age of 41 years (range 10-63 years). In 44 (80.0%) patients episodic hypertension or paroxysms were observed; 7 (12.7%) patients had permanent hypertension, and 4 (7.3%) had a normal arterial blood pressure (ABP). 131/123I-MIBG scintigraphy (33 patients) and magnetic resonance imaging (12 patients) showed 100% sensitivity and computed tomography (47 patients) 97.9% sensitivity. At operation five (9.1%) tumors were bilateral, five extraadrenal, and five multiple. In four (7.3%) patients an association with familial syndromes (three MEN-IIb, one von Recklinghausen disease) was observed. Five (9.1%) malignant tumors were discovered, and two patients are still alive 30 and 104 months after surgery, one of them with relapse. In 43 (78.2%) patients we preferred a flank incision, and no intraoperative deaths occurred. Mean follow-up was 88 months (6-232 months) with recurrence in only 1 (2.0%) of 50 patients without malignancy. In patients with benign pheochromocytomas the recurrence rate did not seem to be elevated in our series. Nevertheless, because the lifelong follow-up requires only annual 24-hour urinary catecholamine measurement (less than $40 per patient per year) and periodic ABP measurements, it is suggested for all patients who undergo surgery for pheochromocytoma.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Surgery Unit, Clinica Chirurgica I, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Favia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lumachi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Polistina
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: D'Amico
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery