Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Pheochromocytoma history and symptoms
Introduction
Overview
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
History and Symptoms
The hallmark of pheochromocytoma is recurrent episodes of palpitations, sweating, and headache.
History
Patients with pheochromocytoma may have a positive history of:
- Recurrent attacks of palpitations
- Headache and sweating
- Paroxysmal changes in blood pressure
- Family history of pheochromocytoma
- Family history of syndromes- MEN 2A, MEN 2B, NF1, VHL
Common symptoms
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
Less common symptoms of pheochromocytoma include:
- Cardiomyopathy: dyspnea on exertion, leg swelling, painful hepatomegaly.[2]
- Episodic hypotension.[3]
- Pheochromocytoma patients may show symptoms of other diseases associated with syndromes such as:
References
- ↑ Bravo EL, Gifford RW (1993). “Pheochromocytoma”. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 22 (2): 329–41. PMID 8325290.
- ↑ Kassim TA, Clarke DD, Mai VQ, Clyde PW, Mohamed Shakir KM (2008). “Catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy”. Endocr Pract. 14 (9): 1137–49. doi:10.4158/EP.14.9.1137. PMID 19158054.
- ↑ Bravo EL (1994). “Evolving concepts in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of pheochromocytoma”. Endocr Rev. 15 (3): 356–68. doi:10.1210/edrv-15-3-356. PMID 8076587.
- ↑ Walther MM, Reiter R, Keiser HR, Choyke PL, Venzon D, Hurley K; et al. (1999). “Clinical and genetic characterization of pheochromocytoma in von Hippel-Lindau families: comparison with sporadic pheochromocytoma gives insight into natural history of pheochromocytoma”. J Urol. 162 (3 Pt 1): 659–64. PMID 10458336.
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]