Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Pheochromocytomas

Michael Yeh, M.D.

Anaheim, June 2009

Click here to download and print the handout, or scroll through the slides here as you watch the video.

Dr. Michael Yeh of the Division of Endocrinology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) discusses the latest methods for diagnosing and localizing a pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma (extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma). Pheochromocytomas are called "pheos" for short.

Localizing, or determining the location of a pheo, can be a challenge, as about 20% of pheos occur outside the adrenal glands. Dr. Yeh shows one that occurred actually inside the heart.

He discusses methods of removing pheos, including laparoscopic and robotic surgery, and the need for careful management before, during, and after surgery. Just as the high concentrations of hormones before surgery require careful handling, the removal of the tumor results in a sudden drop in the levels of these hormones which also needs to be carefully monitored and managed.

For a copy of his slides, please see
vhl.org/videos/2009_anaheim/07_yeh.pdf