title: Development and validation of pheochromocytoma of the adrenal gland scaled score for predicting malignant pheochromocytomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic performances of the pheochromocytoma of the adrenal gland scaled score (PASS) proposed in a previous report and that of a logistic model developed in this investigation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all 130 patients with malignant or assumed benign pheochromocytomas, 15 predictive variables were observed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of PASS. The logistic model was developed using the 15 predictive variables. Its performance was evaluated by calculating the area under the ROC curve and comparing it with that of the PASS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PASS had the area under the ROC curve of 0.899 (95% confidence interval 0.844 to 0.954). Of the 15 variables entered in the logistic regression analysis, 9 were retained in the model. The area under the ROC curve for the logistic model was 0.983 (95% confidence interval 0.967 to 0.998).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ROC analysis indicated that the PASS could be used for the diagnosis of malignant pheochromocytomas. The logistic model was able to improve the diagnostic performance of the PASS using a different variable weighting method. We emphasize, however, that a clinical prospective evaluation is needed to confirm their actual value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Baohua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Fanwei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bian
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Haifeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Benkang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhishun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies