Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Pheochromocytoma

HP:0002666

What it means

Pheochromocytomas (also known as chromaffin tumors) produce, store, and secrete catecholamines. Pheochromocytomas usually originate from the adrenal medulla but may also develop from chromaffin cells in or about sympathetic ganglia. A common symptom of pheochromocytoma is hypertension owing to release of catecholamines.

In everyday care

Most people with this sign do not have a rare disease — it appears in common conditions far more often. These general reference pages cover the same topic:

Rare diseases that can present with this10

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Chromaffin tumors · Chromaffin tumours

Pheochromocytoma

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.