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A pheochromocytoma (from Greek ''phaios'' "dark", ''chroma'' "color", ''kytos'' "cell", ''-oma'' "tumor") or phaeochromocytoma (PCC) is a neuroendocrine tumor of the medulla of the adrenal glands (originating in the chromaffin cells), or extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue that failed to involute after birth, that secretes high amounts of catecholamines, mostly norepinephrine, plus epinephrine to a lesser extent. Extra-adrenal paragangliomas (often described as extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas) are closely related, though less common, tumors that originate in the ganglia of the sympathetic nervous system and are named based upon the primary anatomical site of origin. ==Signs and symptoms== The signs and symptoms of a pheochromocytoma are those of sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity, including: *Skin sensations *Flank pain *Elevated heart rate *Elevated blood pressure, including paroxysmal (sporadic, episodic) high blood pressure, which sometimes can be more difficult to detect; another clue to the presence of pheochromocytoma is orthostatic hypotension (a fall in systolic blood pressure greater than 20 mmHg or a fall in diastolic blood pressure greater than 10 mmHg upon standing) *Palpitations *Anxiety often resembling that of a panic attack *Diaphoresis (excessive sweating) *Headaches – most common symptom *Pallor *Weight loss *Localized amyloid deposits found microscopically *Elevated blood glucose level (due primarily to catecholamine stimulation of lipolysis (breakdown of stored fat) leading to high levels of free fatty acids and the subsequent inhibition of glucose uptake by muscle cells. Further, stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors leads to glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis and thus elevation of blood glucose levels). A pheochromocytoma can also cause resistant arterial hypertension. A pheochromocytoma can be fatal if it causes a hypertensive emergency, that is, severely high blood pressure that impairs one or more organ systems (formerly called "malignant hypertension"). This hypertension is not well controlled with standard blood pressure medications. Not all patients experience all of the signs and symptoms listed. The most common presentation is headache, excessive sweating, and increased heart rate, with the attack subsiding in less than one hour. Tumors may grow large, but most are smaller than . 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pheochromocytoma」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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