What should I do if pheochromocytoma causes excessive sweating?

Written by Li Lang Bo
Endocrinology
Updated on February 02, 2025
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Patients with pheochromocytoma generally exhibit profuse sweating, which is a manifestation of sympathetic excitement. This occurs because the capillary beds throughout the body of a person with pheochromocytoma are constricted, including the sweat glands. Thus, it is easy to exhibit these symptoms of sympathetic excitement, characterized by nervousness, heavy sweating, and weight loss. So, how should this be treated? The key is to treat the cause. In the clinic, after collecting some blood history, conducting various blood tests, and performing adrenal CT scans among other imaging studies, a clear diagnosis of pheochromocytoma is made. Then, we will use some alpha receptor blockers, one to lower the blood pressure to a normal range and another to dilate the capillary beds throughout the body. After this, we proceed with the related surgical treatment. Following the surgical removal of the tumor, symptoms such as sweating will gradually be relieved.

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Pheochromocytoma typical manifestations

For pheochromocytoma, the term usually refers to tumors arising from the chromaffin tissue of the neural crest. Clinically, the main typical symptoms include severe hypertension, along with nausea, vomiting, intense headache, and dizziness. Additionally, it may also cause the patient to be in a continuous high metabolic state, characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, nausea, vomiting, and excessive sweating. If not treated promptly and effectively, it may pose serious threats to the patient's heart, brain, and kidneys. In severe cases, it could even be life-threatening. Surgery is commonly recommended for treatment.

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Malignant symptoms of pheochromocytoma

For pheochromocytoma, if not treated adequately, it often leads to severe hypertensive crises in patients, characterized by extreme spikes in blood pressure accompanied by profuse sweating, palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, and numbness in the limbs. Excessively high blood pressure can easily trigger pathological changes in the heart, kidneys, liver, and brain tissues, possibly leading to hypertensive brain hemorrhage, and even endangering the patient's life. Therefore, if pheochromocytoma is not managed and treated properly, it often results in critical illness and might even endanger the patient's life. It is recommended that once diagnosed, hospitalization should be sought promptly, and surgical treatment should be considered if necessary.

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Pheochromocytoma hypertension medication

For pheochromocytoma, it is often recommended to use adrenergic receptor blockers for the treatment of hypertension. These can be divided into α-adrenergic receptor blockers and β-adrenergic receptor blockers. In addition, all other types of antihypertensive drugs can also be used frequently during treatment. For example, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium channel blockers also play a helpful role in the treatment of pheochromocytoma. Besides pharmacological treatment, the fundamental approach is to perform qualitative and localization diagnosis, and after confirmation, to surgically remove the pheochromocytoma completely to fundamentally achieve therapeutic goals.

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Written by Gan Jun
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What size of pheochromocytoma is malignant?

The size of pheochromocytomas and the benign or malignant nature of the tumor are not greatly related. Usually, most are familial pheochromocytomas, which are most commonly bilateral, but they have a relatively high recurrence rate and are difficult to treat with fewer available treatment options. Once a pheochromocytoma is detected, it should be taken seriously and treated promptly. The presence of a tumor often indicates that it has developed to the mid and late stages, where it becomes relatively difficult to cure. Regardless of whether the tumor is large or small, it must be taken seriously and treated with care, otherwise, it may easily worsen and affect health.

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How is pheochromocytoma diagnosed?

For patients with pheochromocytoma, comprehensive examinations are necessary for diagnosis. For instance, measuring catecholamines and their metabolites in blood or urine can help determine if there is a noticeable increase in catecholamine levels. Furthermore, adrenal CT scans can be used to assess the condition, where in many cases, significant occupying lesions can be detected through adrenal CT scans. In addition, other related tests also hold diagnostic value and significance, such as magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and related nuclear scanning tests, which can assist in qualitative and locational diagnosis.