Malignant pheochromocytoma of the bladder: current controversies

Abstract

Urinary bladder pheochromocytoma is an uncommon tumor that produces hypertensive crises coinciding with micturition. It is usually benign, with less than 20 cases with evidence of metastasis described to date. We present a rare case of a malignant bladder pheochromocytoma with regional metastasis, where the pathological and scintigraphic findings are described. The controversy about pathology diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this unusual tumor is discussed.