89 patients were operated upon for pheochromocytoma. 61 patients (37 women and 24 men) were available for follow-up. Mean age at operation was 39 +/- 12.3 yrs. Before operation paroxysmal and sustained hypertension were observed in 34 (55.7%) and 27 (44.3%) patients, respectively. Postoperatively permanent normalization of blood pressure was achieved in 38 cases (62.3%). All patients were divided into four groups. Group I with increased urine excretion of noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) consisted of 19 (31.1%) patients. Group II (increased NA excretion) included 27 (44.3%) patients. Group III comprised 3 (4.9%) cases with elevated A excretion. 12 (19.7%) patients with normal urinary excretion of catecholamines and increased excretion of methoxycatecholamines were alloted to group IV. Permanent normalization of blood pressure predominantly was observed in group IV--91.6%, whilst in group I, II and III this hypotensive effect was noted in 57.9%, 51.8% and 2/3, respectively. Permanent normalization of blood pressure can be mainly expected in patients with pheochromocytoma in whom catecholamines are rapidly inactivated within the tumor.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the usefulness of certain localization methods in diagnosis of pheochromocytoma].

Localization tests including TC-scans, scintigraphy with 131I-radiolabelled metaiodobenzylguanidine and ultrasound have been performed in 68 patients with diagnosed pheochromocytoma. Diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms and increased catecholamines and/or their metabolites excretion with the urine. Proper diagnosis with CT-scans was 97%, scintigraphy--92%, and ultrasound--93%; false negative results in scintigraphy amounted to 8% (3 patients) and 5% (3 patients) in case of ultrasound. CT-scans were free of such errors. False positive diagnosis was made in 2 (3%) patients with CT-scans and in 1 (2%) patient tested with ultrasound. These results suggest that pheochromocytoma may be precisely localized with non-invasive techniques, especially CT-scans.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Test with clonidine for diagnosing pheochromocytoma].

Noradrenaline, adrenaline and mean arterial pressure prior to and 3 hours after clonidine administration were evaluated in order to assess a value of single dose of 0.3 mg clonidine in the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. The study involved 12 patients with pheochromocytoma, 17 patients with arterial hypertension, and 9 patients with borderline hypertension. Seven healthy volunteers served as a control group. It was found that clonidine decreased noradrenaline levels in all healthy subjects and patients with the primary blood hypertension and did not affect noradrenaline levels in patients with pheochromocytoma. Clonidine decreased noradrenaline levels in two patients with normal resting noradrenaline levels. Simultaneously, clonidine decreased noradrenaline levels in two patients with normal resting levels of this catecholamine. The obtained results indicate low specificity of the clonidine test and its value in the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in patients with normal noradrenaline blood levels.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗