title: Catecholamine secretion and ploidy in phaeochromocytoma.
abstract: The aim was to evaluate 24 hr urine catecholamine, HMMA and HVA excretion in relation to ploidy in phaeochromocytoma. Data from five diploid and nine tetraploid tumours showed a significant reduction in urine noradrenaline (p = 0.02) and HMMA (p = 0.03) in diploid tumours but no difference in adrenaline, dopamine and HVA excretion using the Mann-Whitney U test. None of the patients showed recurrence after a mean of 5.7 years of follow up. A review of published ploidy studies in phaeochromocytoma shows that malignancy is more than six times more common in non-diploid tumours but diploidy does not equate with benignity. No biochemical marker is a reliable index of malignancy. All patients should undergo lifetime review for recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemical Pathology and Histopathology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Tormey
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Leader
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000652:urine; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000652:urine*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000652:urine; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011003:Ploidies; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002395:Catecholamines; D007773:Lactates; C005434:atrolactic acid; D006719:Homovanillic Acid