Clinical Profile, Outcomes, and Predictors of Malignant Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: Insights From a Single‐Center Cohort
Authors' conclusion
Malignant PPGLs had a variable clinical course and were amenable to multimodal therapeutic strategies with a favorable outcome in about 67% of the patients. Although mPPGL had larger tumor diameter compared to non-mPPGL, no particular size cut-off could accurately predict metastases. Adjuvant 131I MIBG therapy is a useful treatment option in resource limited settings.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with PPGL managed at a single centre over 11 years (2013–2024)
- Participants
- 218 patients
- Exposure
- Malignant PPGL vs non-metastatic PPGL
- Malignant pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (mPPGL)n = 36
- non-mPPGLn = 182reference
- Outcome
- Tumor size, mPPGL vs non-mPPGL
Methodological detailssingle-centre
- Single-centre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
mPPGL
8.8
± 5.2
non-mPPGL
6.3
± 3.3
P = 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Clinical profile of mPPGL
- Median age at diagnosis of metastases
- 39.5 years (range 10-62)
- Synchronous metastases
- 21 (58.3%)
- Metachronous metastases
- 15 (41.7%)
- Median time to metachronous metastases from primary diagnosis
- 76 months (range 13-270 months)
Detection of metastases by imaging
- 18FDG PET-CT
- 100% (4/4)
- 68 Ga DOTATATE PET-CT
- 100% (4/4)
- CT/MRI
- 97.2% (35/36)
- 131I MIBG scan
- 79.3% (23/29)
Treatment and outcomes of mPPGL
- Surgery as primary treatment
- 78%
- 131I MIBG therapy
- 19 (52.8%)
- Died due to metastatic disease
- 11
- Died within a year of diagnosis of metastases
- 9
- Median survival at last follow-up
- 31.5 months (range 3-96)
Original publication
Clinical Profile, Outcomes, and Predictors of Malignant Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma: Insights From a Single‐Center Cohort. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). Published 30 July 2025. doi:10.
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