hormonal and metabolic disorders
Pheochromocytoma
Diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma
Blood and urine tests Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging Doctors may not suspect a pheochromocytoma, because almost half of the people have no symptoms other than persistent high blood pressure. However, when high blood pressure occurs in a young person, comes and goes, or accompanies other symptoms of pheochromocytoma, doctors may request certain laboratory tests. For example, the level of certain catecholamines or products created when these catecholamines are broken down may be measured in blood or urine samples. Because of high blood pressure and other symptoms, doctors may prescribe a beta-blocker before knowing that the cause is a pheochromocytoma. Beta-blockers can make high blood pressure worse in people with pheochromocytoma. This paradoxical reaction often makes the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma clear. If the level of catecholamines is high, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or another imaging test can help locate the pheochromocytoma. A test using injected radioactive chemicals that tend to accumulate in pheochromocytomas can also be useful. A scan is then done to see where the radioactive chemicals are. Once pheochromocytoma has been confirmed, doctors typically do genetic tests on the person. 