Pheochromocytoma is a kind of tumor which is generally begun in the adrenal gland.
Its particular place of origin is from within the chromaffin cells, which are neuroendocrine cells found in, amongst other potential places, the adrenal medulla (located in the middle of the adrenal gland).
The tumor secretes levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline, and possibly additional catecholamines, which are excessive relative to the norm.
Symptoms of a pheochromocytoma in a patient are also symptoms that can be found in other conditions, so having one or more of these does not necessarily mean that an individual does have such a tumor.
Additionally, this is not an exhaustive list, and a patient may also simply be unable to detect any symptoms, so not having or noticing certain symptoms on this page does not mean that a person does not have a pheochromocytoma.
Some potential symptoms are outlined below with brief details: Panic attacks, anxiety, or nervousness can be one symptom.
One possible differential diagnosis (used in an attempt at a process of elimination) is a panic disorder.
Nausea can also be one of the symptoms of pheochromocytoma.
Nausea is simply the feeling of discomfort and/or unease in the region of the upper stomach or head, along with the sensation of the urge to vomit.
It does not necessarily mean that the patient will vomit.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is another such possibility.
In this case, it would be secondary hypertension, as it was brought on by an underlying condition - the pheochromocytoma.