Pitfalls
- Although the disease is rare and can present in a wide variety of ways, there are several markers that should alert the clinician to the potential diagnosis
- Autopsy studies have shown that phaeochromocytoma is first diagnosed at post mortem in about 50% of cases. Missing the diagnosis can deprive the patient of curative surgery
- Not all adrenal masses or elevations of catecholamines levels are due to phaeochromocytoma