Histologically benign but telomerase positive adrenal pheochromocytoma.
Adrenalectomy was performed on a 37-year-old woman with right adrenal pheochromocytoma. Although the histological diagnosis was benign, telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) demonstrated positive telomerase activity. Thirty-five months after adrenalectomy, a recurrent tumor was found. Forty-seven months after adrenalectomy, bone metastases also appeared. Malignant pheochromocytoma was clinically diagnosed. Our experience suggests that telomerase-positive tumor cells are highly likely to repeat cell proliferation when they are left in the patient's body, and lead to recurrence. Therefore, telomerase-positive tumors should be clinically treated as malignant even if they have been histologically diagnosed as benign.
Hirano
Yasuhiro
Y
Department of Urology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu and Department of Urology, Fujinomiya Municipal Hospital, Fujinomiya, Japan.
Nobata
Syunsuke
S
Takahashi
Hisaya
H
Kageyama
Shinji
S
Sudoko
Hiroshi
H
Ushiyama
Tomomi
T
Suzuki
Kazuo
K
Fujita
Kimio
K
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D019098:Telomerase / Q000032:analysis*
D019098:Telomerase