Malignant pheochromocytoma arising in the organ of Zuckerkandl--a clinicopathological study.

An autopsy case of malignant pheochromocytoma arising in the organ of Zuckerkandl is reported, of which distant metastases were found in the liver and lymph nodes. The biochemical and electron microscopic findings from the tumor tissue showed noradrenaline-secreting type. It was revealed that sex ratio in malignant pheochromocytoma was more prominent in the female, and the frequency of extra-adrenal origin was higher in malignant pheochromocytoma than in benign one from comparative study of reported cases of malignant pheochromocytoma.