Malignant pheochromocytoma: a review.
BACKGROUND
Pheochromocytomas are rare catecholamine-secreting tumors. Approximately 10 percent of pheochromocytomas are malignant. Traditionally, there has been no reliable method available to predict the malignant potential of pheochromocytoma. However, recent research has increased focus on differentiating at the time of surgery/diagnosis those pheochromocytoma tumors which have malignant potential. In this review, we discuss the current information known of malignant pheochromocytomas.


METHODS
The PubMed database was searched for articles on malignant pheochromocytoma published between 1993 and 2010.


CONCLUSIONS
The difficult task of predicting the malignant potential of a pheochromocytoma has yet to be answered definitively. However, all the studies presented give an idea of what we may look for in these tumors at the time of diagnosis. We have provided an algorithm based on the most current information known. A much larger study should be performed to test many of these theories with enough power to determine a standard of care.
Harari
Avital
A
Department of Surgery, Division of Endocrine Surgery of University of California, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA. avitalharari@gmail.com
Inabnet
William B
WB
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology