CLINICAL COURSE AND TREATMENT OF PHEOCHROMOCYTOMAS IN CHILDREN - ANALYSIS OF 5 CASES

Between 1965 and 1990 five children with pheochromocytomas were treate d. Clinical course, methods of diagnosis, treatment and results establ ished by follow-up from 6 months to 20 years are presented. Hypertensi on and headaches occurred in all patients. One child with a malignant form of pheochromocytoma manifested central nervous symptoms imitating epilepsy and additionally diffuse pulmonary metastases were found. On e patient had a family history of pheochromocytomas and presented with hypermetabolic state and neurovegetative symptoms. One child had mult ifocal tumors: two in the posterior mediastinum and one in the retrope ritoneal space. All patients were treated by either enucleation of the tumor, tumor excision or adrenalectomy. One child died 12 years after surgery from the rapid progression of pulmonary metastases of pheochr omoblastoma present at the time of diagnosis.