[Clinical and endocrine diagnosis of pheochromocytoma]

Pheochromocytomas are catecholamine-producing tumors, representing one of the most important causes of secondary hypertension. The classification of these tumors considers both sporadic and familial forms, intra- and extraadrenal localization as well as the dignity. Familial pheochromocytomas are primarily seen under the conditions of multiple endocrine neoplasia, von Hippel-Lindau disease or neurofibromatosis type 1. The list of clinical symptoms includes hypertension, which can be both continuous or intermittent, headache, tachycardia and sweating. It is most important to standardize the pre-analytical procedures, i.e. control for sampling conditions and adequate choice of parameters in plasma or urine. For screening sensitive methods will be employed (free catecholamines in 24h-urine) and for confirmation of the diagnosis, specific procedures are performed (Clonidine test, MIBG-scintigraphy). The endocrinological and biochemical procedures are completed by molecular genetic techniques in familial pheochromocytoma.