Adrenal-sympathetic Syndrome: Chromaffin Tissue Tumour with Paroxysmal Hypertension.

The chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla are a part of the scattered " chromaffin tissue system." The tumours of these cells, the pheochromocytomata or adrenal paragangliomata are nearly always benign, but usually produce paroxysmal hypertension ending fatally if the tumour is not removed. There are reports of 152 cases of pheochromocytoma. The only extra-adrenal paragangliomata that have produced the hypertensive picture are those arising in the retroperitoneal tissues between the kidneys: of 13 such cases, 9 had the cardiovascular syndrome typical of the adrenal cases, and they form part of one clinical problem and are considered with the adrenal cases here. Of these 165 cases, 90 have been described since 1929, and 36 operations have been reported.