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Persistent and recurrent pheochromocytoma: The role of surgery

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Abstract

Pheochromocytoma is a rare malignancy. The opportunity to gain experience with persistent and recurrent pheochromocytoma is extremely limited. We have, therefore, reviewed our experience with 8 patients with persistent and recurrent pheochromocytoma treated during the last 6 years. In patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia, the recurrent or persistent adrenal tumor is usually situated in the contralateral adrenal, whereas in other patients the tumor is usually situated in an ectopic position or is due to recognized or unrecognized malignant disease.

Survival from diagnosis ranged from 1.5 to 23 years in these patients. Because long-term survival may occur following removal of both benign and malignant pheochromocytomas, an aggressive surgical approach is recommended.

Résumé

Le pheochromocytome est rarement malin et le fait que cette tumeur de la surrénale persiste ou récidive est exceptionnel. Nous rapportons dans cet article notre expérience qui concerne 8 cas de pheochromocytome persistants ou récidivants traités au cours de ces 6 dernières années. Exception faite du pheo chromocytome contro-latéral qui se voit chez les malades porteurs de tumeurs prévisible la majorité des cas concerne soit une localisation ectopique soit une affection maligne reconnue ou méconnue.

La durée de la survie va de 15 à 23 ans. Ce fait favorable conduit à adopter une attitude active dont le but est de localiser et de réséquer la lésion qui est à l'origine ou qui complique le phéochromocytome persistant ou récidivant.

Chez les malades qui présentent des tumeurs endocrines multiples la lésion responsable intéresse généralement la surrénale du côté opposé; chez les autres elle est située au niveau d'un ilôt surrénalien ectopique ou elle trouve son origine au niveau d'une tumeur maligne connue ou méconnue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, USA

    Murray F. Brennan M.D. (Chief) & Harry R. Kaiser M.D.

  2. Hypertension-Endocrine Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, USA

    Murray F. Brennan M.D. (Chief) & Harry R. Kaiser M.D.

  3. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

    Murray F. Brennan M.D. (Chief) & Harry R. Kaiser M.D.

Authors
  1. Murray F. Brennan M.D.
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  2. Harry R. Kaiser M.D.
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Presented before the meeting of the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons, Montreux, Switzerland, September, 1981.

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Brennan, M.F., Kaiser, H.R. Persistent and recurrent pheochromocytoma: The role of surgery. World J. Surg. 6, 397–401 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01657665

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