PHEOCHROMOCYTOMAS, having originated from chromaffin tissue, are most frequently associated with the adrenal glands, but may be located in any area along the fetal route of this tissue.1 The protean origin of these tumors has been recognized by Rosenheim,2 who has stated that 10% of the pheochromocytomas are bilateral and 10% ectopic.
Although 19 cases of pheochromocytoma originating in the urinary bladder have been previously reported,3-5 only 3 have been diagnosed and located preoperatively.6-8 This report emphasizes the techniques of preoperative diagnosis of such a tumor.
Report of a Case
A 34-year-old married white woman was referred to Walter Reed General Hospital with a tentative diagnosis of a pheochromocytoma of the urethra. The patient stated that for a ten-year period, urination was frequently associated with a cataclysmic experience. Upon voiding, the patient experienced "a hurting and throbbing all over as if her blood vessels were going