Treatment and outcomes in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas: a study of 110 cases from a single center

Many pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are nowadays diagnosed as incidentalomas or by screening. This may have changed outcomes.

We reviewed 110 consecutive cases of PPGLs. Two cases with concurrent ectopic ACTH-syndrome were excluded.

Sixty-five percent had presented as incidentalomas, 30% as symptomatic PPGLs, and 5% had been screened (previously diagnosed MEN2A). Doxazosin was used in 79%, phenoxybenzamine in 18%, intravenous phentolamine in 1%, and no alpha-blockade in the rest. Laparoscopic surgery was performed in 70%, but 11% were converted to open surgery. Complications of surgery were seen in 20%, and length of stay after surgery was 4 days (2–8) with no correlation with alpha-blockade dose or time. In the whole cohort glycemic disturbances decreased by surgery (47% vs. 9%, P < 0.001). During 9.6 ± 7.2-year (median 8[4–13]) follow-up, 7% developed a new PPGL, 5% a PPGL-metastasis (KI67 > 2% n = 2; KI67 ≤ 1% n = 3; tumor size ≥ 95 mm n = 4), and 13% died (metastatic pheochromocytoma n = 2, hypertensive crisis n = 1, heart failure n = 2, other malignancies n = 5, and unclear n = 4). Surgery improved blood pressure and glycemic disturbances in the incidentaloma and the symptomatic PPGL. Recurrence was more common in the screening group. The symptomatic PPGL group was more likely to die of a PPGL-related cause. Surgery was more challenging in the paragangliomas, with less improvement in glycemic control than in the pheochromocytoma group. However, blood pressure and long-term outcomes were similar.

The outcomes seemed slightly better than previous studies. Long-term prognosis was similar between pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas.