Chromaffin tumors; Paraganglionoma

• Abdominal pain
• Chest pain
• Irritability
• Nervousness
• Pallor
• Palpitations
• Rapid heart rate
• Severe headache
• Sweating
• Weight loss

Other symptoms that can occur with this disease:

• Hand tremor
• High blood pressure
• Sleeping difficulty

Symptom attacks may occur at unpredictable intervals and usually last 15 to 20 minutes. The attacks may increase in frequency, length, and severity as the tumor grows.

The doctor will perform a physical exam. You may have high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, and fever during an attack of symptoms. Your vital signs can be normal at other times.

Tests include:

• Abdominal CT scan
• Adrenal biopsy
• Catecholamines blood test
• Glucose test
• Metanephrine blood test
• MIBG scintiscan
• MRI of abdomen
• Urine catecholamines

Images

Endocrine glands

Adrenal metastases, CT scan

Adrenal Tumor - CT

Adrenal gland hormone secretion

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Pheochromocytoma Treatment

Review Date: 09/26/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)