• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
UCLA Endocrine Center

UCLA Endocrine Center

UCLA Endocrine Center
  • About Us
    • Giving
    • News & Events
    • Newsletters
    • Research Updates
    • Services
    • Team Photos
    • Telemedicine Program
    • Distance Surgery Program
    • UCLA Endocrine Surgery Research & Education
    • UCLA Endocrinology Thousand Oaks
    • UCLA Endocrinology Westlake Village
  • Our Expert Team
    • Endocrine Surgeons
    • Endocrinologists, Adult
    • Endocrinologists, Pediatric
    • Radiologists
    • Clinical Support Staff
    • Contact Us
  • Conditions Treated
    • Parathyroid
    • Thyroid
    • Adrenal
    • Genetic Syndromes
    • Pancreas
  • Videos
    • Webinars
  • Our Locations
  • For Patients
    • Coronavirus Update
    • Patient Stories
    • Distance Surgery Program
    • Patient Education
    • Scar Gallery
    • Webinars
    • Insurance Questions
    • International Patients
  • For Referring Physicians
    • Referring Physicians - Surgical Unit Focus
    • For Referring Physicians - Parathyroid disease Treatment
  • Contact Us
    • Appointment Request
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

UCLA Endocrine Center

Conditions Treated

Conditions Treated

Conditions Treated

  • Parathyroid
    • High Calcium Levels & Primary Hyperparathyroidism
    • Normocalcemic Primary Hyperparathyroidism
    • Outcomes After Parathyroid Surgery
      • Scar Photo Album - Open Parathyroid Surgery
      • Scar Photo Album & Video - Minimally Invasive Parathyroid Surgery
    • Re-do Parathyroid Surgery
  • Thyroid
    • Hyperthyroidism
      • Thyroid Surgery Graves Disease
    • Hypothyroidism
    • Medullary Thyroid Cancer
    • Normal Thyroid Hormone Levels
    • How Should I Take Thyroid Hormone
    • Thyroid Cancer
    • Thyroid Nodules & Thyroid Cancer
      • Indeterminate Thyroid Nodule
      • Thyroid Nodule Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) Biopsy
      • UCLA Pediatric Thyroid Program
      • Why Choose UCLA?
      • Webinars
    • Thyroid Radiofrequency Ablation
  • Adrenal
    • Adrenal Surgery
    • Outcomes After Surgery
    • Pheochromocytoma
      • Pheochromocytoma Treatment and Diagnosis
  • Genetic Syndromes
  • Pancreas
  • Parathyroid
  • Thyroid
  • Adrenal
  • Genetic Syndromes
  • Pancreas
  • Adrenal Surgery
  • Outcomes After Surgery
  • Pheochromocytoma
  • Pheochromocytoma Treatment and Diagnosis
  1. Home
  2. Conditions Treated
  3. Adrenal
  4. Pheochromocytoma

Pheochromocytoma

Share this

Affiliated: Adrenaline & Adrenal Conditions | Adrenocortical Carcinoma | Adrenal Crisis | What are Adrenal Glands?

Request An Appointment

Phone: 310-267-7838

What is a Pheochromocytoma?

Pheochromocytoma (fee-o-kroe-moe-sy-TOE-muh) is a rare type of tumor that develops in the adrenal glands, which are located on top of each kidney. Pheochromocytomas release an excess of hormones that regulate heart rate and blood pressure, specifically, adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine). Alternative Name: Chromaffin tumors.

Illustration of Adrenal GlandsLarger image >

Symptoms

  • Severe headaches
  • Palpitations
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Sweating
  • Flushing
  • Chest pain
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nervousness
  • Irritability

The most common symptom of pheochromocytoma is hypertension (high blood pressure). Patients can have persistent/chronic high blood pressure, or high blood pressure only during episodes/attacks. A common clinical feature of pheochromocytomas is an attack of symptoms (listed above) that may be frequent but occur at irregular intervals (sporadic). These attacks may worsen in severity, duration and frequency as the tumor grows. Some patients have attacks brought on by physical or emotional stress, while others are awakened from sleep with symptoms.

Causes

Pheochromocytomas develop in specialized cells called chromaffin cells.  Located in the center of the adrenal gland, chromaffin cells release adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine) which control your body’s blood pressure and heart rate. Adrenaline and noradrenaline trigger your body’s response to a perceived threat, causing your blood pressure and heart rate to increase. A pheochromocytoma leads to an excessive amount of these hormones being released.

Risk Factors

Pheochromocytoma may occur as either a single tumor or as multiple growths. Less than 10% of pheochromocytomas are malignant (cancerous), with the potential to metastasize (spread to other parts of the body). These tumors can appear at any age but are more commonly seen in early to mid-adulthood.

Certain rare inherited disorders have an increased risk of pheochromocytoma. These genetic conditions include Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 2 (MEN 2), Von Hippel-Lindau disease, Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), and Hereditary paraganglioma syndromes.

I Have High Blood Pressure; How Do I Know Whether I Have a Pheochromocytoma?

Most people who have high blood pressure don’t have an adrenal tumor. Talk to your doctor if you are having difficulty controlling your high blood pressure with current treatment, if your high blood pressure begins to worsen, if you have a family history of pheochromocytoma or history of a related genetic disorder (MEN2, von-Hippel-Lindau disease, NF1 or hereditary paraganglioma syndromes.

I Have an adrenal nodule; How Do I Know Whether I Have a Pheochromocytoma?

Anyone with an adrenal nodule discovered on imaging (e.g. a CT scan or MRI of the abdomen) should have appropriate biochemical work-up to determine if the adrenal nodule is producing excessive hormones. This is done by laboratory testing of the blood and/or urine. Pheochromocytomas have specific imaging characteristics that can be evaluated on CT or MRI.

Pheochromocytoma, left adrenal glandLarger image >

How Do You Detect Pheochromocytoma?

The main test to identify a pheochromocytoma is checking the 24 hour urine or blood levels of metanephrines (metabolites of adrenaline). These levels should be at least 2-fold above the upper limit of normal; otherwise, they are likely to represent a false positive finding (i.e. the test is elevated but the patient does not have a pheochromocytoma). Many conditions and medications can cause a false-positive elevation of metanephrines, including Tylenol, anti-depressants, and certain blood pressure medications.

CT or MRI of the abdomen will almost always identify a pheochromocytoma. Additional specialized imaging such as MIBG (meta-iodobenzylguanidine) or Ga-68 Dotatate PET/CT scan can help to confirm a pheochromocytoma and identify multiple tumors or metastatic spread.

Pheochromocytoma ScanLarger image >

How is Pheochromocytoma Treated?

Pheochromocytomas are treated with surgery to remove the adrenal gland that contains the tumor.

A medication called an alpha blocker is given for about 2 weeks prior to surgery to stabilize the patient’s vital signs and get their blood pressure and heart rate under control. This step limits serious complications during surgery, as manipulation of the tumor can cause release of hormones that can raise the blood pressure and heart rate. Having an experienced surgeon and anesthesiologist team is critical for a safe and successful surgery.

After surgery, patients’ vital signs are closely monitored and hormone levels are tested every year to make sure the pheochromocytoma does not recur (come back). Most patients are cured with surgery as long as the pheochromocytoma is completely removed without any break of the tumor capsule during surgery. Pheochromocytomas are usually not cancerous. In the rare cases of malignant pheochromocytoma, treatment options include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and Peptide Receptor Radionuclide Therapy (PRRT).

Pheochromocytoma Scan

What Should I Expect After Surgery?

Patients with hypertension prior to surgery often have rapid and significant improvement immediately after surgery. Patients often worry that removing an adrenal gland means their quality of life will be affected or they will need to be on hormone replacement after surgery. But that is not the case. The other adrenal gland produces all of the hormones that the body needs, and hormone replacement is not needed after adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma.

For patients who have non-cancerous tumors that are removed with surgery, more than 90% are doing well with no recurrence after 5 years. Tumors come back in less than 10% of patients, most often in cases where the tumor was malignant or the capsule of the tumor was broken during surgery. Those cases require multi-disciplinary treatment at a specialized center for medical management of blood pressure and symptoms, possible reoperation, and other treatment options previously mentioned.

Have Questions About Pheochromocytoma?

Please Contact Us >

Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap
Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Subscribe to Our Videos on YouTube Follow us on Instagram Connect with Us on LinkedIn Follow us on Pinterest

Sign in to myUCLAhealth

Learn more about myUCLAhealth