Improvement of preoperative management in patients with adrenal pheochromocytoma

To investigate methods for improving the preoperative management of patients with pheochromocytoma.

We collected 155 cases diagnosed as adrenal pheochromocytoma and with hypertension. During preoperative preparation, 85 patients had antihypertensive therapy by using the selective α1-blocker doxazosin controlled-release tablets; 70 patients was controlled by using the nonselective α-blocker phenoxybenzamine; All 155 patients underwent qualitative diagnosis by determination of 24-hour urinary vanilmandelic acid (VMA) or [11C]meta-hydroxyephedrine (mHED) positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) and underwent computed tomography (CT) for tumor localization;

In doxazosin group, with the exception of two patients who had radical fluctuations in blood pressure during surgery, other patients showed a smooth blood pressure control during surgery. No hypertensive crisis and hypotensive shock appeared after surgery. In phenoxybenzamine group, ten patients had sharp fluctuations in blood pressure during surgery, and no hypertensive crisis and hypotensive shock appeared after surgery.

Compared with phenoxybenzamine, doxazosin has minimal adverse reactions, with high security as a preoperative preparation for adrenal pheochromocytoma, and it is easy to be taken. MHED PET-CT examination has a clear diagnostic value for patients with normal 24-hour urinary VMA.