Clinicopathological analysis of phaeochromocytoma

Analysing 13 cases of adrenal phaeochromocytoma clinically and pathologically, authors draw attention to this long known hormone-producing tumour which can be recognized and localized by up-to-date diagnostic methods in an increasing number. In three of their cases, the characteristic clinical pattern, the biochemical and imaging procedures have helped in forming the right diagnosis, and the patients recovered after a successful operation. Ten tumours were detected at autopsy. The retrospective reviewing of the case records revealed 9 patients to have been treated for years for hypertension but not to have been examined for adrenal tumour. Lacking examinations, the authors only assumed a causal relationship between phaeochromocytoma and the fatal complications appearing in the majority of cases. Nine patients presented with palpitation and cardiac arrhythmias. In 4 cases, death was due to an irreversible shock, two of them could be assumed to have adrenal tumour due to mechanical effect. In one case, malignant growth of the tumour occurred with local infiltration and formation of distant metastases. In agreement with literary data, they found that histology was not indicative of the degree of severity of the tumour. No correlation was found between the size and biological activity of the tumour either.