PET Imaging of Pheochromocytoma

Pheochromocytomas are tumors derived from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla that synthesize, store, metabolize, and usually, but not always, secrete catecholamines. Although pheochromocytomas are the cause of hypertension in only a small number of patients, they can precipitate life-threatening hypertension or cardiac arrhythmias caused by excessive and episodic catecholamine secretion. This article reviews the genetics, clinical presentation, and imaging of pheochromocytoma, with special emphasis on new positron emission tomographic radiopharmaceutical agents.