[Difficulties in the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in children]

Pheochromocytoma was the cause of arterial hypertension observed in 0.9% of children treated in 1982-1989. Out of clinical features the most characteristic was sustained hypertension often complicated by the accelerated phase of malignant hypertension and encephalopathy. Sustained tachycardia was also found in all patients. Increased urinary excretion of catecholamines and its metabolites confirmed the diagnosis in all cases. The most sensitive and specific methods for tumor diagnosis were ultrasonography and computer tomography of the adrenals while scintigraphy with meta-iodobenzylguanidine+ labelled with iodine-131 radioisotope gave a high percentage of false negative results.