Premium
PHAEOCHROMOCYTOMA: EXPERIENCE FROM A REFERRAL HOSPITAL IN SOUTHERN INDIA
Author(s) -
Mathew Sajjan,
Perakath Benjamin,
Nair Aravindan,
Seshadri M. S.,
Shanthly Nylla
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1622.1999.01598.x
Subject(s) - medicine , referral , multiple endocrine neoplasia , general surgery , pheochromocytoma , endocrine system , endocrine surgery , pediatrics , thyroid , family medicine , hormone , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
Background : Phaeochromocytoma has been traditionally called the ‘Tumour of Tens’. Many investigators have reported the prevalence of extra‐adrenal phaeochromocytoma to be more than 10%. Methods : All consecutive adult patients diagnosed to have phaeochromocytoma by the departments of endocrinology and surgical endocrinology of the Christian Medical Hospital, India, over a period of 10 years from 1988 to 1998, were included in the study. Results : A total of 30 patients were diagnosed to have phaeochromocytoma. Extra‐adrenal phaeochromocytoma accounted for 26.6% of cases. Ten per cent of cases were bilateral, 6.6% were malignant and one patient had a familial tumour (multiple endocrine neoplasia IIB). The tumours were localized pre‐operatively in all patients. Multicentric extra‐adrenal tumours were not found in this series. All patients except one were explored by the anterior transperitoneal approach. Persistent hypertension was noted in 30% of patients. Conclusions : Our series shows a higher prevalence (26.6%) of extra‐adrenal tumours than the traditionally described 10%. With accurate pre‐operative localization, a transperitoneal approach may not be necessary. The laparoscopic approach needs to be evaluated in light of these findings.