Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas: Experience of a Buenos Aires General Hospital

pp 136-140

Abstract

We report pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma case studies followed-up in the Hospital General de Agudos “José M. Ramos Mejía” Division of Endocrinology between 1994 and 2014. Twenty two patients were diagnosed and treated, 17 women and 5 men. Sixteen patients presented with typical signs and symptoms, 2 had associated ischemic limb necrosis, and 4 were normotensive (3 with incidentalomas and 1 with hyperglycemia and asthenia). Elevated urinary catecholamine and metanephrine levels were found in all patients. Twelve patients exhibited unilateral adrenal disease (8 right and 4 left), 5 had bilateral disease and 5 extra-adrenal disease. Ten patients had familial syndromes. Eleven patients underwent laparoscopic surgery and 11 required conversion to laparotomy due to tumor size or bleeding. During follow-up, biochemical recurrence was observed in four patients, two with local recurrence, one with metastasis, and one with untraceable tumor. This report of our institutional experience emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to treat this disease.