Pheochromocytoma - Symptoms & Treatment

Pheochromocytoma is a neuroendocrine tumor of the medulla of the adrenal glands spawning in the chromaffin cells, which secretes excessive amounts of catecholamines , usually adrenaline and noradrenaline. Pheochromocytoma is a tumor of the adrenal glands. The tumor is named for its vivid reaction in fixatives containing chromic acid salts. Pheochromocytomas are usually auspicious (non-cancerous), but can cause dangerously high blood pressure and other symptoms, including pounding headaches, heart palpitations, flushing of the face, nausea, and vomiting. Most tumors which begin in the chromaffin cells do not propagate to other parts of the body and are not cancer. These are called benign tumors. If a tumor is present, the doctor will need to determine whether it is cancer or benign. Most pheos secrete a number of hormones, comprising norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, vanylmandelic acid, and metanephrines. Pheochromocytomas usually cause the adrenal glands to make too many hormones named catecholamines.

Pheochromocytomas are usually benign (non-cancerous), but can cause precariously high blood pressure and other symptoms, including pounding headaches, heart palpitations, flushing of the face, nausea, and vomiting. Pheochromocytoma symptoms usually include paroxysms of exorbitant hypertension, accompanied by sweating, headache, and other autonomic disturbances, probably resulting from physical compression and/or ischemia of the "pheo". Despite everything of location and appearance, the patients will usually report anxiety, headache, palpitations, panic attacks, sweating, and dizziness as some of the main symptoms.

Causes of Pheochromocytoma

Common causes of Pheochromocytoma

• A family history of pheochromocytoma, tumors in other glands of the body, or other hormonal disorders
• Dopamine antagonists.
• Cold medications.
• Radiographic contrast media.
• High manganese diets
• Pituitary gland.
• Thyroid gland.
• Parathyroid glands
• Pancreas.
• Ovaries (in females).

Symptoms of Pheochromocytoma

Common Symptoms of Pheochromocytoma

• Headache.
• Sweating.
• Abdominal pain..
• Loss of weight.
• Anxiety.
• Tremor.
• Chest Pain.
• Epigastric pain
• Flushing.
• Painless.

Treatment of Pheochromocytoma

Common Treatment of Pheochromocytoma

• Radiation therapy or chemotherapy have not been persuasive in curing this kind of tumor.
• Use an arterial line, cardiac monitor, and Swan-Ganz catheter.
• Administer the last doses of oral alpha- and beta-blockers on the morning of surgery.
• Initiate a beta-blocker only after adequate alpha blockade.
• Anterior midline abdominal approach was used in the past; nonetheless, in current practice, laparoscopic adrenalectomy is the preferred procedure for lesions smaller than 8 cm.