title: Follow-up in 103 patients with catecholamine-secreting tumours.
abstract: 103 patients from a group of 115 patients with catecholamine secreting tumours were reinvestigated 7.0 +/- 4.9 years following surgery. Throughout the follow-up period 15 patients had died. In four of them death was definitively, in seven subjects possibly associated to the primary endocrine disorder. Following surgery improvement of general well-being was documented in 85% of the patients. Hypertension was corrected in 61 %, but 26% of the patients remained hypertensive and symptoms of hypotension like orthostasis developed in 24%. A significant increase in weight (> 5 kg) was observed in 26% of the subjects throughout the follow-up period, but did not result in a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus which had to be treated in 16% of the patients before and only 14% following surgery. However, palpitations, increased sweating and headache persisted in 16%, 17% and 12% of the patients, respectively. Symptoms of cardiac insufficiency developed in 32%. Persistent discomfort related to the scar was reported by 55% of the patients following lumbar surgery and by 30% of the subjects that were operated on via a transabdominal approach. Hence we conclude that surgery of catecholamine-secreting tumours results in an improvement of health and well-being in most subjects according to objective criteria as well as to the judgement of the patients themselves.
authors.affiliation: Abt. Endokrinologie und Stoffwechsel, FPP, Universität Trier, Friedrich Wilhelm-Str. 29, D-54290 Trier, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kreft
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Scheumann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von zur Mühlen
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Schürmeyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004701:Endocrine Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines