Pheochromocytoma

Pheochromocytomas (PH or PCC) are tumors arising from chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland. They make, store, metabolize and usually but not always release catecholamines. Extra-adrenal paragangliomas (often described as extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas) are closely related, though less common, tumors that originate in the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system and are named based upon the primary anatomical site of origin. The term is from the Greek phaios (dark), chroma (color), kytos (cell), and -oma (tumor).Micrograph of pheochromocytoma.Micrograph of pheochromocytoma.Micrograph of pheochromocytoma.Bilateral pheochromocytoma in MEN2.Pheochromocytoma. CT abdomen.Pheochromocytoma. CT abdomen. Pheochromocytomas (PH or PCC) are tumors arising from chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland. They make, store, metabolize and usually but not always release catecholamines. Extra-adrenal paragangliomas (often described as extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas) are closely related, though less common, tumors that originate in the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system and are named based upon the primary anatomical site of origin. The term is from the Greek phaios (dark), chroma (color), kytos (cell), and -oma (tumor). The signs and symptoms of a pheochromocytoma are those of sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity, including: A pheochromocytoma can also cause resistant arterial hypertension. A pheochromocytoma can be fatal if it causes a hypertensive emergency, that is, severely high blood pressure that impairs one or more organ systems (formerly called 'malignant hypertension'). This hypertension is not well controlled with standard blood pressure medications.