Pheochromocytomas are diagnosed incidentally and at older age in neurofibromatosis type 1

Guidelines do not currently recommend routine systematic hormonal screening for pheochromocytoma (PHEO) in all/normotensive patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), in contrast to other PHEO-predisposing genetic syndromes such as Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.

To characterize and compare parameters of PHEO in patients with NF1 to patients with or without other germline mutations.

A retrospective chart review of patients with histologically proven PHEO at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal from 2000 through 2015.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 was diagnosed clinically in nine patients in our cohort of 145 PHEO (6·2%). The mean age at diagnosis was 48 ± 14 years, and seven patients had hypertension. No PHEO was diagnosed by systematic clinical screening. The mode of presentation was adrenal incidentalomas in five patients. Urinary metanephrines were elevated in 5/9 cases. Mean tumour diameter was 3·5 cm (min-max 1·5-12·5 cm). One had bilateral PHEO and none were malignant to date. Statistically significant differences were noted when comparing PHEO in NF1 to other genetic syndromes (n = 20), in terms of age at diagnosis (mean 48 vs 30 years P < 0·05), initial mode of presentation (no PHEO detected by routine screening in NF1 vs 40% in other genetic syndromes P < 0·05) and familial history of catecholamine-secreting tumour (none in NF1 vs 55% in patients with other genetic syndrome P < 0·05).

Pheochromocytoma in NF1 occurs in older patients with no family history compared to other syndromes; it is mostly unilateral, secretory and benign. The older age at diagnosis of PHEO could be secondary to delay in identification due to lack of systematic screening for PHEO in NF1.