radiotherapy for bone metastases of malignant pheochromocytoma *
Pheochromocytomas arise from the chromaffin cells of the sympathetic nervous system, mostly from the adrenal medulla and have been reported to metastasize in about 10% of patients with the disease. We report an experience with radiotherapy for a patient with metastatic pheochromocytoma to the bones (L1, sacrum, ilium and ischium) and paraaortic lymph nodes. A 68-year-old male patient noticed progressive lumbago and gait disturbance in December 1996 and visited the Araki Nephro-Urologic Clinic. By several medical examinations, bone and paraaortic lymph node metastases from a pheochromocyloma of the left adrenal gland which had been successfully treated by surgery 14 years before were found. The patient was introduced to our hospital and received external beam radiotherapies of 59.4 Gy for the 1) lumbar vertebra and paraaortic lymph nodes, 60 Gy for the 2) sacrum and ilium and 59,4 Gy for the 3) ischium. His symptoms of lumbago and gait disturbance disappeared completely along with a reduction in his serum catecholamine level. CT findings of the paraaortic lymph nodes also showed a 32% decrease in their sizes. All these therapeutic effects have continued until now, 14 months after the completion of radiotherapy, (Accepted on September 3, 1998) Kawasaki Igakkaishi 24(3) : 173-180, 1998
