Definition of Phaeochromocytoma
1. Noun. A vascular tumor of the adrenal gland; hypersecretion of epinephrine results in intermittent or sustained hypertension.
Medical Definition of Phaeochromocytoma
1.
A normally benign neoplasia (neuroblastoma) of the chromaffin tissue of the adrenal medulla.
In culture, the cells secrete enormous quantities of catecholamines and can be induced to form neuron like cells on addition of for example) cyclic AMP or nerve growth factor. Excessive production of adrenaline and noradrenaline leads to secondary hypertension, sometimes paroxysmal.
This entry appears with permission from the Dictionary of Cell and Molecular Biology
(11 Mar 2008)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Phaeochromocytoma
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