Pheochromocytoma

Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor of the adrenal medulla composed of chromaffin cells, and is a pharmacologically volatile, potentially lethal catecholamine-containing tumor of chromaffin tissue. Common symptoms include hypertension, tachycardia, anxiety, sweating, headache, and pallor, with hypertensive crisis a potential complication; about 80 percent of cases have a genetic basis, the condition occurs at a frequency of about 0.8 per 100,000 people, and diagnosis relies on elevated plasma free metanephrines as the gold standard test. Treatment options include surgery, medication such as alpha and beta blockers, chemotherapy, and radiation.