PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA

Principle hormones of adrenal medulla are physiologically active catecholamines, e.g. norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine. Metabolites of them are excreted in urine as Vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), normetanephrine and metanephrine.

Pheochromocytoma is catecholamine-secreting tumors, arising from chromaffin cells-present in adrenal medulla or elsewhere along the sympathetic chain. Only 5-10% of all cases are encountered in children, usually in late adolescence.

Pheochromocytomas may be hereditary (AD), fre­quently associated with other syndromes/ tumors like neurofibromatosis, etc.

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