title: The significance of angiogenesis in malignant pheochromocytomas.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate tumor angiogenesis in a series of benign and malignant pheochromocytomas and to determine whether there is a correlation between angiogenesis and the presence of distant metastases. In this study, the CD31 monoclonal antibody was selected to measure intratumoral microvessel density. Nineteen patients with malignant pheochromocytomas and nineteen patients with benign pheochromocytomas who underwent operation were studied. In order to quantify intratumoral microvessel density, the total number of pixels of CD31-positive reactivity was assessed and expressed as a percentage of the total tissue area in the analyzed field. Analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant correlation between malignancy and intratumoral microvessel density (p = 0.0009). Although there was a considerable variability in the intratumoral microvessel density from tumor to tumor within both the benign and the malignant group, a percentage of more than 28.5% anti-CD31 stained area was found only in malignant tumors. In conclusion, this study shows that the mean intratumoral microvessel density in malignant pheochromocytomas is increased approximately twofold as compared with benign tumors. However, the clinical significance of this prognostic marker is rather weak, because only 4 of the 19 malignant pheochromocytomas had microvessel density higher than this threshold of 28.5%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical Centre Rijnmond Zuid, Location Clara, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. prooijens@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Patrick P G M
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Rooijens
authors.forename: Ronald R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: de Krijger
authors.forename: H Jaap
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bonjer
authors.forename: Frieda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van der Ham
authors.forename: Alex L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Nigg
authors.forename: Hajo A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Bruining
authors.forename: Steven W J
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lamberts
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van der Harst
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1