Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ahmad Al Maradni, M.D. [2]Mohammed Abdelwahed M.D [3]

Overview

The hallmarks of pheochromocytoma is recurrent episodes of sympathetic symptoms. The most common symptoms of pheochromocytoma include episodes of palpitations, sweating and headaches. Less common symptoms include cardiomypathy, episodic hypotension, symptoms of other multiple endocrine neoplasias associated diseases such as that of medullary thyroid cancer and hyperparathyroidism.

History and Symptoms

The hallmark of pheochromocytoma is recurrent episodes of palpitations, sweating, and headache.

Patients with pheochromocytoma may have a positive history of:

Common symptoms of pheochromocytoma are secondary to sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity. Symptoms usually subside in less than one hour and they may include:

Palpitations especially in epinephrine producing tumors.^[1]
Anxiety often resembling that of a panic attack
Sweating
Headaches
Paroxysmal attacks of hypertension but some patients have normal blood pressure
Pheochromocytoma may be asymptomatic and discovered incidentally after screening for MEN patients

Less common symptoms of pheochromocytoma include:

References

Pheochromocytoma history and symptoms