Scintigraphy in pheochromocytoma.

In four patients with pheochromocytoma, scintigraphy with 131I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine was performed to localize hyperfunctioning adrenergic tissue. In three patients unilateral adrenal pheochromocytoma was found, whereas one patient with a malignant pheochromocytoma showed multilocular dissemination. The results document that scintigraphy with 131I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine seems to be a safe and reliable method of detecting adrenal and extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas, both benign and malignant.