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Resection of Pheochromocytoma Improves Diabetes Mellitus in the Majority of Patients

  • Endocrine Tumors
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Catecholamine excess in patients with pheochromocytoma often results in impaired glucose tolerance, leading to diabetes mellitus. Little data are available on the long-term effect of surgery on diabetes.

Objective

The primary aim of this study was to determine the likelihood of diabetes cure after surgery, while secondary objectives were to determine risk factors for development of diabetes preoperatively and persistence of diabetes postoperatively.

Methods

All patients undergoing surgery for pheochromocytoma from 1996 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed to identify those with a preoperative diagnosis of diabetes. Demographic and diabetes-specific data were collected. Median follow-up was 52.1 months.

Results

Overall, 153 patients underwent surgery. Diabetes was seen in 36 (23.4%) patients. Eight patients met the exclusion criteria and were removed from the final analysis, while 22 (78.6%) patients had complete resolution of diabetes. Four patients remained on medication with improved control. Overall, 93.0% of patients had improvement of their diabetes; two patients did not improve. Patients with large, symptomatic tumors were more likely to develop preoperative diabetes, and diabetes was more likely to persist in patients who had an elevated body mass index (BMI).

Conclusions

Diabetes was found concurrently with pheochromocytoma in 23% of patients, more often in those with large, symptomatic tumors. The majority of patients had long-term resolution of diabetes after successful resection; however, some patients may continue to require treatment of diabetes after operation, especially those with a higher BMI.

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Disclosures

Toni Beninato, Wouter P. Kluijfhout, Frederick Thurston Drake, James Lim, Julie S. Kwon, Maggie Xiong, Wen T. Shen, Jessica E. Gosnell, Chienying Liu, Insoo Suh, and Quan-Yang Duh have nothing to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Toni Beninato MD, Wouter P. Kluijfhout MSc, Frederick Thurston Drake MD, James Lim BA, Julie S. Kwon BA, Maggie Xiong BA, Wen T. Shen MD, Jessica E. Gosnell MD, Insoo Suh MD & Quan-Yang Duh MD

  2. Department of Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Toni Beninato MD

  3. Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Wouter P. Kluijfhout MSc

  4. Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Frederick Thurston Drake MD

  5. Department of Medicine, Division of EndocrinologyUniversity of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Chienying Liu MD

Authors
  1. Toni Beninato MD
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  2. Wouter P. Kluijfhout MSc
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  3. Frederick Thurston Drake MD
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  4. James Lim BA
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  5. Julie S. Kwon BA
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  6. Maggie Xiong BA
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  7. Wen T. Shen MD
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  8. Jessica E. Gosnell MD
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  9. Chienying Liu MD
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  10. Insoo Suh MD
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  11. Quan-Yang Duh MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Quan-Yang Duh MD.

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Beninato, T., Kluijfhout, W.P., Drake, F.T. et al. Resection of Pheochromocytoma Improves Diabetes Mellitus in the Majority of Patients. Ann Surg Oncol 24, 1208–1213 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-016-5701-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-016-5701-6

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