The tumor is mainly treated with surgery. Medicine: If you are too sick for surgery, you may take medicine. The surgeon may remove 1 or both adrenal glands. Surgery: This is the most common treatment. How long the condition is expected to last How well you can handle specific medicines, treatments, or therapies Your healthcare provider will figure out the best treatment for you based on: It can show if you have disease in other parts of your body. This whole-body scan can show if the disease is spreading. The substance is absorbed into tissues that make too much of the hormone epinephrine. This test puts radioactive substances into your body to take an image of the tumor. This test uses large magnets, radio waves, and a computer to make images of organs and structures within your body. This test uses X-rays and computer technology to take detailed images of your body. These tests measure hormone levels.ĬT scan. You may also need tests such as:īlood and urine tests. Your healthcare provider will take your medical history and give you a physical exam. Always see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis. The symptoms of a pheochromocytoma may seem like other health problems. Symptoms may include:įeeling that your heart is beating fast or fluttering (palpitations) They can be brought on when you are under stress or when you change positions. But it must be considered when medicine is not enough to control high blood pressure. It is a very rare cause of high blood pressure. Sometimes the tumor can cause high blood pressure that can be life threatening. The most common sign of a pheochromocytoma is high blood pressure. What are the symptoms of pheochromocytoma? About 30% of these types of tumors are now believed to run in families. If you have this tumor, you should consider genetic testing. This tumor does not seem to be affected by environment, diet, or lifestyle. If someone in your family has this type of tumor, you are more likely to have it. They often show up when you are in your 30s, 40s, or 50s. Pheochromocytomas happen equally in men and women. But if someone in your family has this type of tumor, you are more likely to have it. It’s not known what causes this type of tumor. A pheochromocytoma causes the adrenal glands to make too much of these hormones. These hormones help keep your heart rate and blood pressure normal. The middle part of the adrenal glands makes epinephrine and norepinephrine. Each layer of these glands makes different hormones. Your body has two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney. It grows in the middle of an adrenal gland. A pheochromocytoma is a rare type of tumor.

Adrenal kidney