Pheochromocytoma: a clinical and operative study

ABSTRACT

Pheochromocytomas are tumors that produce, store and secrete catecholamines. This work aimed to study clinical and operative findings of this tumor. The study was performed on 30 cases [18 males and 12 females] of pheochromocytoma with ages ranged between 24-58 years and a mean age of 31.3 years. Eighteen cases were in the right adrenal gland and ten were in the left gland, while two cases were bilateral. Sustained hypertension occurred in twenty-four cases, paroxysmal hypertension in four cases, while normal blood pressure occurred in two cases. Palpitation occurred in 38% of cases, headache in 80% and sweating in 60% of cases. Ventricular hypertrophy was found in 26.6% of cases, while ischemia occurred in 13.3%, 24-hour urinary catecholamine was elevated in all cases. CT scan was accurate in localizing the tumor in 100% of cases. All the studied cases were prepared preoperatively with phenoxybenzamine except in two cases where inderal was added. All the cases were operated upon by the anterior paramedian approach. The mortality rate was 6.6%. Postoperatively, one case had persistent hypertension and died because of metastatic spread and two cases had persistent hypertension