Bladder pheochromocytoma: a 3-year follow-up after transurethral resection (TURB)

We report a case of a 75-year-old female with pheochromocytoma of the bladder. Clinical evaluation included ultrasonography, intravenous pyelography, CT scan, I-MIBG scintiscan. A transurethral resection was performed for a exophytic tumor of 2 cm diameter. The histological result indicated the diagnosis of bladder pheochromocytoma. Three years later the patient remains disease free. Preoperative diagnosis is established by determination of blood and urine levels of catecholamines and their metabolites is a nonspecific diagnostic tool. The sensitivity of CT scan is 82%. Iodine-methyliodobenzylguanidine (I-MIBG), used by scintiscanning, specifically accumulates in pheochromocytomas. Life-long follow-up is necessary to diagnose late recurrences.