pheochromocytoma
Meaning of pheochromocytoma: Symptoms of this tumor often occur in sudden episodes rather than continuously, reflecting bursts of hormone release rather than a steady excess.
Definition of pheochromocytoma
Pheochromocytoma is a tumor that arises from the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, the inner portion of the adrenal gland located above each kidney. These cells normally produce catecholamines, including epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that help regulate heart rate, blood pressure, and the body's response to stress, and a pheochromocytoma causes these cells to release excessive amounts of these hormones.
Most pheochromocytomas are benign, though a smaller proportion are malignant and can spread beyond the adrenal gland. Because catecholamine release from the tumor often occurs in sudden bursts rather than continuously, symptoms such as episodic high blood pressure, pounding headache, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and pallor frequently occur as sudden episodes rather than persisting steadily.
Because pheochromocytoma can cause dangerous spikes in blood pressure, particularly during stress, surgery, or certain medications, it is generally identified through blood or urine testing for catecholamines and their breakdown products, followed by imaging to locate the tumor before treatment, including surgical removal, is planned.
Used in a sentence
Elevated catecholamine levels on laboratory testing raised concern for a pheochromocytoma.
Good to know
Pheochromocytoma classically causes episodic symptoms such as headache, sweating, and rapid heartbeat along with pallor rather than flushing, a distinction from other conditions in which facial flushing is prominent.
Word origin
Where “pheochromocytoma” comes from
Formed from Greek phaios, meaning dusky or dark, and chroma, meaning color, combined with kytos, meaning cell, and the suffix -oma, meaning tumor, describing the dark staining reaction these cells produce with certain chemical stains.