Current diagnostic imaging of pheochromocytomas and implications for therapeutic strategy

The topic of pheochromocytomas is becoming increasingly popular as a result of major advances in different medical fields, including laboratory diagnosis, genetics, therapy, and particularly in novel advances in imaging techniques. The present review article discusses current clinical, biochemical, genetic and histopathological aspects of the diagnosis of pheochromocytomas and planning of pre-surgical preparation and subsequent surgical treatment options. The main part of the paper is focused on the role of morphological imaging methods (primarily computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) and functional imaging (scintigraphy and positron emission tomography) in the diagnosis and staging of pheochromocytomas.

• Publication year

  2018

• Venue

  Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine

• Publication date

  2018-02-14

• Fields of study

  Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3892/etm.2018.5871PMID 29545830PMCID 5840941
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• WHO classification of tumours of endocrine organs

  2017cited by this paper
• ADC histogram analysis for adrenal tumor histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient in differentiating adrenal adenoma from pheochromocytoma

  2017cited by this paper
• CT Texture Analysis: Definitions, Applications, Biologic Correlates, and Challenges.

  2017cited by this paper
• Comprehensive Molecular Characterization of Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

  2017cited by this paper
• Malignant pheochromocytoma–paraganglioma: pathogenesis, TNM staging, and current clinical trials

  2017cited by this paper
• Consensus Statement on next-generation-sequencing-based diagnostic testing of hereditary phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas

  2017cited by this paper
• Update on Adrenal Tumours in 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) of Endocrine Tumours

  2017cited by this paper
• Differentiating pheochromocytoma from lipid-poor adrenocortical adenoma by CT texture analysis: feasibility study

  2017cited by this paper
• New Perspectives on Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: Toward a Molecular Classification

  2017influential reference
• Comparison of the 68Ga-DOTATATA PET/CT, FDG PET/CT, and MIBG SPECT/CT in the Evaluation of Suspected Primary Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas

  2017cited by this paper
• Comparison of Quantitative MRI and CT Washout Analysis for Differentiation of Adrenal Pheochromocytoma From Adrenal Adenoma.

  2016cited by this paper
• PET/CT comparing 68Ga-DOTATATE and other radiopharmaceuticals and in comparison with CT/MRI for the localization of sporadic metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma

  2016cited by this paper
• 68Ga-DOTATATE and 18F-FDG PET/CT in Paraganglioma and Pheochromocytoma: utility, patterns and heterogeneity

  2016cited by this paper
• Predictive factors for postoperative morbidity after laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma: a multicenter retrospective analysis in 225 patients

  2016cited by this paper
• Images of pheochromocytoma in adrenal glands.

  2015cited by this paper
• [Pheochromocytoma - why is its early diagnosis so important for patient?].

  2015cited by this paper
• Effectiveness and safety of laparoscopic adrenalectomy of large pheochromocytoma: a prospective, nonrandomized, controlled study.

  2015cited by this paper
• Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

  2015cited by this paper
• Pitfalls in the diagnosis of adrenocortical tumors: a lesson from 300 consultation cases.

  2015cited by this paper
• Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma pathogenesis: learning from genetic heterogeneity

  2014cited by this paper
• Pheochromocytoma: a review.

  2014cited by this paper
• Diagnosis and management of pheochromocytoma.

  2014cited by this paper
• Application of a protocol for magnetic resonance spectroscopy of adrenal glands: an experiment with over 100 cases

  2014cited by this paper
• Adrenal disease: a clinical update and overview of imaging. A review.

  2014cited by this paper
• Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma: an endocrine society clinical practice guideline.

  2014cited by this paper
• Prognostic value of Pheochromocytoma of the Adrenal Gland Scaled Score (Pass score) tests to separate benign from malignant neoplasms.

  2013cited by this paper
• An update on the genetics of pheochromocytoma

  2013cited by this paper
• Distinguishing adrenal adenomas from non-adenomas on dynamic enhanced CT: a comparison of 5 and 10 min delays after intravenous contrast medium injection.

  2013cited by this paper
• MDCT of adrenal masses: Can dual-phase enhancement patterns be used to differentiate adenoma and pheochromocytoma?

  2013cited by this paper
• Can established CT attenuation and washout criteria for adrenal adenoma accurately exclude pheochromocytoma?

  2013cited by this paper
• Diagnostic performance of 18F-dihydroxyphenylalanine positron emission tomography in patients with paraganglioma: a meta-analysis

  2012cited by this paper
• Staging and functional characterization of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography.

  2012cited by this paper
• Malignant pheochromocytoma: new malignancy criteria

  2012cited by this paper
• EANM 2012 guidelines for radionuclide imaging of phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma

  2012cited by this paper
• Differentiation of Malignant From Benign Pheochromocytomas With Diffusion-Weighted and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance at 3.0 T

  2012cited by this paper
• The North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society Consensus Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Neuroendocrine Tumors: Pheochromocytoma, Paraganglioma, and Medullary Thyroid Cancer

  2010cited by this paper
• Germline mutations in TMEM127 confer susceptibility to pheochromocytoma

  2010cited by this paper
• 6-[F-18]Fluoro-l-Dihydroxyphenylalanine Positron Emission Tomography Is Superior to Conventional Imaging with 123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine Scintigraphy, Computer Tomography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Localizing Tumors Causing Catecholamine Excess

  2010cited by this paper
• Characterization of adrenal pheochromocytoma using respiratory-triggered proton MR spectroscopy: initial experience.

  2009cited by this paper
• Differential diagnosis of incidentally detected adrenal masses revealed on routine abdominal CT.

  2009cited by this paper
• 6-[F-18]Fluoro-L-dihydroxyphenylalanine positron emission tomography is superior to conventional imaging with (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy, computer tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging in localizing tumors causing catecholamine excess.

  2009cited by this paper
• Diagnostic utility of diffusion‐weighted MR imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient value for the diagnosis of adrenal tumors

  2009cited by this paper
• Biopsy of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas: potential for disaster.

  2009cited by this paper
• Prognostic indicators of malignancy in adrenal pheochromocytomas: clinical, histopathologic, and cell cycle/apoptosis gene expression analysis.

  2008cited by this paper
• Current Progress and Future Challenges in the Biochemical Diagnosis and Treatment of Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas

  2008cited by this paper
• Adrenal phaeochromocytoma: correlation of MRI appearances with histology and function

  2008cited by this paper
• CT of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma: risk of adverse events with i.v. administration of nonionic contrast material.

  2007cited by this paper
• High frequency of SDHB germline mutations in patients with malignant catecholamine-producing paragangliomas: implications for genetic testing.

  2006cited by this paper
• CT histogram analysis in pathologically proven adrenal masses.

  2006cited by this paper
• Comparison of CT findings in symptomatic and incidentally discovered pheochromocytomas.

  2005cited by this paper
• Phaeochromocytoma.

  2005cited by this paper
• Adrenocortical carcinomas and adrenal pheochromocytomas: mass and enhancement loss evaluation at delayed contrast-enhanced CT.

  2005cited by this paper
• Clinical MR Imaging: A practical approach

  2004cited by this paper
• The clinically inapparent adrenal mass: update in diagnosis and management.

  2004cited by this paper
• 131I/123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine (mIBG) scintigraphy: procedure guidelines for tumour imaging

  2003cited by this paper
• Biochemical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma: how to distinguish true- from false-positive test results.

  2003cited by this paper
• 131I/123I-Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy: procedure guidelines for tumour imaging

  2003cited by this paper
• Pheochromocytoma of the Adrenal Gland Scaled Score (PASS) to Separate Benign From Malignant Neoplasms: A Clinicopathologic and Immunophenotypic Study of 100 Cases

  2002cited by this paper
• Germ-line mutations in nonsyndromic pheochromocytoma.

  2002cited by this paper
• AJCC Cancer Staging Manual

  2002cited by this paper
• Biochemical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma: which test is best?

  2002cited by this paper
• Germ-line mutations in nonsyndromic pheochromocytoma.

  2002cited by this paper
• A "pheo" lurks: novel approaches for locating occult pheochromocytoma.

  2001cited by this paper
• Gene mutations in the succinate dehydrogenase subunit SDHB cause susceptibility to familial pheochromocytoma and to familial paraganglioma.

  2001cited by this paper
• Recent Advances in Genetics, Diagnosis, Localization, and Treatment of Pheochromocytoma

  2001cited by this paper
• Delayed enhanced CT of lipid-poor adrenal adenomas.

  2000cited by this paper
• Mutations in SDHC cause autosomal dominant paraganglioma, type 3

  2000cited by this paper
• Mutations in SDHD, a mitochondrial complex II gene, in hereditary paraganglioma.

  2000cited by this paper
• Safety of magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents

  1999cited by this paper
• Malignant pheochromocytoma, still a therapeutic challenge.

  1997cited by this paper
• Pheochromocytoma: effect of nonionic contrast medium in CT on circulating catecholamine levels.

  1997cited by this paper
• Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma in children: a report of 24 cases of the French Society of Pediatric Oncology.

  1997cited by this paper
• Adrenal adenomas: relationship between histologic lipid and CT and MR findings.

  1996cited by this paper
• Differentiation of adrenal adenomas from nonadenomas using CT attenuation values.

  1996cited by this paper
• [Pheochromocytoma--a review].

  1989cited by this paper

• Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) as a key tool in the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma: a case report in an elderly patient with extreme blood pressure variability

  2025cites this paper
• A Unique Case of Metastatic Paraganglioma in a Patient With Parkinson Disease

  2025cites this paper
• Hypertensive retinopathy as the first manifestation of extra-adrenal paraganglioma

  2025cites this paper
• Nuclear medicine and perspective thoughts in the diagnosis and treatment of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma

  2025cites this paper
• Adrenal hemangiomas versus adrenal pheochromocytomas with radiologic-pathologic correlation.

  2025cites this paper
• Multimodality Workup of Adrenal Masses

  2025cites this paper
• PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA WITH METASTATIC LESION IN THE L4 VERTEBRA AND NEUROLOGICAL DEFICIT: CASE REPORT

  2025cites this paper
• 11C‐Hydroxyephedrine PET/CT for preoperative surgical planning in large pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma

  2025cites this paper
• Global epidemiology of pheochromocytoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

  2025cites this paper
• Management of a giant adrenal schwannoma

  2024cites this paper
• [Diagnosis and management of patients with pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma: Consensus of experts of the Russian Medical Society for Arterial Hypertension and the Multidisciplinary Group for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuroendocrine Tumors].

  2024cites this paper
• Adrenal pheochromocytoma masquerading as a hydatid cyst: A case report and review of literature

  2024cites this paper
• Incidental detection of purely cystic pheochromocytoma in a young adult presenting with lower urinary tract infection

  2024cites this paper
• Mixed functional tumor of the left adrenal as a cause of palpitations, surgical management. Case report

  2024cites this paper
• A Rare Case Report of Extra-adrenal Pheochromocytoma Masquerading as a Pancreatic Head Malignancy

  2024cites this paper
• Sonographic Findings of Pheochromocytoma in an Adolescent Female During an Evaluation for Possible Renal Artery Stenosis

  2023cites this paper
• Evaluation of adrenal masses using 18F-FDOPA PET/CT in patients suspected with pheochromocytoma

  2023cites this paper
• Histone deacetylase inhibitors as a novel therapeutic approach for pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas

  2023cites this paper
• Imaging Recommendations for Diagnosis, Staging, and Management of Adrenal Tumors

  2023cites this paper
• The efficacy of volumetric computed tomography histogram analysis in adrenal masses

  2023cites this paper
• Pheochromocytoma in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report

  2023cites this paper
• An Aberrant Case of Pheochromocytoma in a Young Adult Presenting With Secondary Hypertension: A Case Report With Review of the Literature

  2023influential citation
• Imaging Update for Hereditary Abdominopelvic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

  2023cites this paper
• Synchronized Laparoscopic Bilateral Adrenalectomy for Pheochromocytoma in Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Syndrome: A Case Report

  2022cites this paper
• Calvarial metastasis from malignant pheochromocytoma associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia

  2022cites this paper
• Investigation of The Binding Potential of Gadobutrol, Iohexol and Fluorescein Radiocontrast Agents to the TSH Receptor

  2022cites this paper
• Artificial Intelligence in Medical Imaging and its Impact on the Rare Disease Community: Threats, Challenges and Opportunities.

  2022cites this paper
• Integration of molecular imaging in the personalized approach of patients with adrenal masses.

  2022cites this paper
• Cardiovascular Presentation in Pheochromocytoma: What We Should be Aware

  2022cites this paper
• Feocromocitoma adrenal. Claves para el diagnóstico radiológico

  2022cites this paper
• Acute Adrenal Hypertensive Emergencies: Pheochromocytoma, Cushing's, Hyperaldosteronism

  2022cites this paper
• Adrenal pheochromocytoma: Keys to radiologic diagnosis.

  2022cites this paper
• Characterization of Atypical Pheochromocytomas with Correlative MRI and Planar/Hybrid Radionuclide Imaging: A Preliminary Study

  2021cites this paper
• Imaging pheochromocytoma in small animals: preclinical models to improve diagnosis and treatment

  2021cites this paper
• Pheochromocytoma: An Incidental Finding in an Asymptomatic Older Adult With Renal Oncocytoma.

  2021cites this paper
• Metastatic Pheochromocytomas and Abdominal Paragangliomas

  2021influential citation
• A Case of Pheochromocytoma Revealed by an Etonogestrel Contraceptive Implant Use

  2021cites this paper
• Challenges in Paragangliomas and Pheochromocytomas: from Histology to Molecular Immunohistochemistry

  2021cites this paper
• Multidisciplinary practice guidelines for the diagnosis, genetic counseling and treatment of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas

  2021cites this paper
• Case of pheochromocytoma mimicking MINOCA

  2021cites this paper
• Outcomes of nephron sparing surgery and cortical sparing adrenalectomy in the management of Von Hippel–Lindau syndrome

  2021cites this paper
• Functional bladder paraganglioma: An odd presentation of haematuria

  2020cites this paper
• Resolution of grade IV hypertensive retinopathy in an adult with pheochromocytoma: post-tumor resection

  2020cites this paper
• Update on Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma from the SSO Endocrine/Head and Neck Disease-Site Work Group. Part 1 of 2: Advances in Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma

  2020cites this paper
• Pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma: recent updates in genetics, biochemistry, immunohistochemistry, metabolomics, imaging and therapeutic options.

  2020cites this paper
• Differences in Adrenal Size as they Relate to Pheochromocytomas

  2020cites this paper
• Recurrent Pheochromocytoma in an Elderly Patient

  2020cites this paper
• The Case of an Asymptomatic Pheochromocytoma Masquerading as a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor.

  2020cites this paper
• Effects of pretreatment with terazosin and valsartan on intraoperative haemodynamics in patients with phaeochromocytoma

  2020cites this paper
• Paragangliomas Throughout the Body: Hereditary Syndromes and Imaging Features Including 3D Cinematic Rendering.

  2020cites this paper
• Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: From Clinical Findings to Diagnosis

  2020cites this paper
• Diagnostic Value of Unenhanced CT Attenuation and CT Histogram Analysis in Differential Diagnosis of Adrenal Tumors

  2020cites this paper
• Pheochromocytoma

  2020cites this paper
• [Imaging of medullary thyroid carcinoma].

  2019cites this paper
• Adrenal Adenoma-Hemangioma Collision Tumor: Description of Two Cases.

  2019cites this paper
• Ectopic pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma of the ZUCKERKANDL organ: A case report and review of the literature

  2019cites this paper
• Imaging of Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma

  2019cites this paper
• The benefit of measuring the size of incidentally detected adrenal lesions in the differential diagnosis of incidentalomas

  2019cites this paper
• Influence of slice thickness on result of CT histogram analysis in indeterminate adrenal masses

  2018cites this paper
• Breast cancer and pheochromocytoma - a case report about rare synchronous tumor occurrence

  2018cites this paper
• RADIOLOGY THROUGH IMAGES Adrenal pheochromocytoma: Keys to radiologic diagnosis (cid:2)

  year unknowncites this paper
• Case Report Case report of laparoscopic adrenalectomy for a giant pheochromocytoma: medical and surgical challenge

  year unknowncites this paper