This largest study on prognostic markers in localized ACC identified Ki67 as the single most important factor predicting recurrence in patients following R0 resection. Thus, evaluation of Ki67 indices should be introduced as standard grading in all pathology reports of patients with ACC.

The mENSAT classification and GRAS parameters (Grade, R status, Age and Symptoms) were found to best stratify the prognosis of patients with advanced ACC.

Objective Hypertension and symptoms of catecholamine excess are features of pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs). This prospective observational cohort study assessed whether differences in presenting features in patients tested for PPGLs might assist establishing likelihood of disease. Design and methods Patients were tested for PPGLs because of signs and symptoms, an incidental mass on imaging or routine surveillance due to previous history or hereditary risk. Patients with (n = 245) compared to without (n = 1820) PPGLs were identified on follow-up. Differences in presenting features were then examined to assess the probability of disease and relationships to catecholamine excess. Results Hyperhidrosis, palpitations, pallor, tremor and nausea were 30–90% more prevalent (P < 0.001) among patients with than without PPGLs, whereas headache, flushing and other symptoms showed little or no differences. Although heart rates were higher (P < 0.0001) in patients with than without PPGLs, blood pressures were not higher and were positively correlated to BMI, which was lower (P < 0.0001) in patients with than without PPGLs. From these differences in clinical features, a score system was established that indicated a 5.8-fold higher probability of PPGLs in patients with high than low scores. Higher scores among patients with PPGLs were associated, independently of tumor size, with higher biochemical indices of catecholamine excess. Conclusions This study identifies a complex of five signs and symptoms combined with lower BMI and elevated heart rate as key features in patients with PPGLs. Prevalences of these features, which reflect variable tumoral catecholamine production, may be used to triage patients according to likelihood of disease.

ContextMeasurements of plasma methoxytyramine, the O-methylated dopamine metabolite, are useful for detecting rare dopamine-producing pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) and head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs), but utility for screening beyond that achieved using standard measurements of normetanephrine and metanephrine is unclear.ObjectiveEvaluation of the additional utility of methoxytyramine compared to plasma normetanephrine and metanephrine for diagnosis of PPGLs and HNPGLs.DesignComparative prospective study.MethodsComparison of mass spectrometric-based measurements of plasma methoxytyramine, normetanephrine and metanephrine in 1963 patients tested for PPGLs at six tertiary medical centers according to reference intervals verified in 423 normotensive and hypertensive volunteers.ResultsOf the screened patients, 213 had PPGLs and 38 HNPGLs. Using an upper cut-off of 0.10 nmol/L for methoxytyramine, 0.45 nmol/L for metanephrine and age-specific upper cut-offs for normetanephrine, diagnostic sensitivity with the addition of methoxytyramine increased from 97.2% to 98.6% for patients with PPGLs and from 22.1% to 50.0% for patients with HNPGLs, with a small decrease in specificity from 95.9% to 95.1%. Addition of methoxytyramine did not significantly alter areas under receiver operating characteristic curves for patients with PPGLs (0.984 vs 0.991), but did increase (P < 0.05) areas for patients with HNPGLs (0.627 vs 0.801). Addition of methoxytyramine also increased the proportion of patients with PPGLs who showed highly positive predictive elevations of multiple metabolites (70.9% vs 49.3%).ConclusionsWhile the benefit of additional measurements of plasma methoxytyramine for the detection of PPGLs is modest, the measurements do assist with positive confirmation of disease and are useful for the detection of HNPGLs.

ObjectivesPlasma free metanephrines are commonly used for diagnosis of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGLs), but can also provide other information. This multicenter study prospectively examined whether tumor size, location, and mutations could be predicted by these metabolites.MethodsPredictions of tumor location, size, and mutation type, based on measurements of plasma normetanephrine, metanephrine, and methoxytyramine were made without knowledge of disease in 267 patients subsequently determined to have PPGLs.ResultsPredictions of adrenal vs. extra-adrenal locations according to increased plasma concentrations of metanephrine and methoxytyramine were correct in 93 and 97% of the respective 136 and 33 patients in who these predictions were possible. Predicted mean tumor diameters correlated positively (p<0.0001) with measured diameters; predictions agreed well for pheochromocytomas but were overestimated for paragangliomas. Considering only patients with mutations, 51 of the 54 (94%) patients with NF1 or RET mutations were correctly predicted with those mutations according to increased plasma metanephrine, whereas no or minimal increase in metanephrine correctly predicted all 71 patients with either VHL or SDHx mutations; furthermore, among the latter group increases in methoxytyramine correctly predicted SDHx mutations in 93% of the 29 cases for this specific prediction.ConclusionsExtents and patterns of increased plasma O-methylated catecholamine metabolites among patients with PPGLs allow predictions of tumor size, adrenal vs. extra-adrenal locations and general types of mutations. Predictions of tumor location are, however, only possible for patients with clearly increased plasma methoxytyramine or metanephrine. Where possible or clinically relevant the predictions are potentially useful for subsequent clinical decision-making.