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RESULTS OF SCREENING FOR PILÆOCHROMOCYTOMA IN 17 HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS WITH EPISODIC SYMPTOMS
Author(s) -
Hull Russell D.,
Sebel Eleanor,
Stokes Gordon S.,
Chalmers J. P.,
Hinterberger Herta
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1974.tb47767.x
Subject(s) - medicine
Detailed Investigation of 17 patients with features suggesting paroxysmal hypertension revealed the presence of phæochromocytoma In only 3 cases, in 2 of which the tumours were bilateral. Tumour‐bearing sites were localized accurately by arteriography In one patient, and by measurements of plasma catecholamines In the Inferior vena cava in the other two. The effects of glucagon and phentolamine on blood pressure correlated poorly with the diagnosis. Plasma catecholamines increased after glucagon administration in the two patients with phæochromocytoma who were tested, including one with no pressor response, and in two of the remainder. Our findings show the glucagon test, with or without measurement of plasma catecholamines, to be of limited use in the diagnosis of phæochromocytoma, while the phentolamine test had no value in this study. The key to the diagnosis was the measurement of urinary and plasma catecholamines and of urinary vanllmandellc acid.