Diagnosis and treatment of phaeochromocytoma with 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine.

131I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy was performed in 30 patients with biochemically proven catecholamine excess. In all but two patients scintigraphy localised the lesion(s) correctly. In high concentrations the same radiopharmaceutical agent was used for treatment of 3 patients with a malignant multilocular and one patient with an intra-adrenal unilocular phaeochromocytoma. The results confirm that 131I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine is suitable for scintigraphic imaging of intra-adrenal and extra-adrenal phaeochromocytomas, both benign and malignant, as well as for treatment of malignant phaeochromocytoma.