Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-producing tumor of the sympathetic nervous system which in 4-14% of the cases may be malignant. The differentiation between benign and malignant phoechromocytomas is very difficult, the presence of metastatic lesions and gross invasion into surrounding tissues are the lonely accettable parameters to confirm malignancy. Since the patients with malignant pheochromocytomas have a very poor survival rate, care must be taken for an early detections and a careful follow up. Three cases of malignant pheochromocytoma are reported. In one of these cases the tumor was a functioning mass; the other two cases presented by a hemorrhagic complication. A careful review of the pertinent literature allows to outline the correct approach to this rare pathology as for the diagnosis and the treatment, also including the actual criteria to establish its malignancy
CONSIDERAZIONI SUL FEOCROMOCITOMA MALIGNO. ESPERIENZA PERSONALE, REVISIONE DELLA LETTERATURA / DE TOMA, G; Letizia, C; Cavallaro, Giuseppe; Giacchino, V; Mosiello, G; Cavallaro, A; Basile, U.. - In: ANNALI ITALIANI DI CHIRURGIA. - ISSN 0003-469X. - 4:(2002), pp. 413-419.
CONSIDERAZIONI SUL FEOCROMOCITOMA MALIGNO. ESPERIENZA PERSONALE, REVISIONE DELLA LETTERATURA
DE TOMA G;CAVALLARO, Giuseppe;
2002
Abstract
Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-producing tumor of the sympathetic nervous system which in 4-14% of the cases may be malignant. The differentiation between benign and malignant phoechromocytomas is very difficult, the presence of metastatic lesions and gross invasion into surrounding tissues are the lonely accettable parameters to confirm malignancy. Since the patients with malignant pheochromocytomas have a very poor survival rate, care must be taken for an early detections and a careful follow up. Three cases of malignant pheochromocytoma are reported. In one of these cases the tumor was a functioning mass; the other two cases presented by a hemorrhagic complication. A careful review of the pertinent literature allows to outline the correct approach to this rare pathology as for the diagnosis and the treatment, also including the actual criteria to establish its malignancyI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
