What is the Difference Between Neuroblastoma and Pheochromocytoma?

Neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma are both neural crest-derived tumors, but they have distinct differences in their origins, clinical presentations, and treatments.

Origin and development:

Neuroblastoma (NB) arises from the sympathetic nervous tissue and is the most frequent malignant tumor in children, accounting for 15% of childhood cancer mortality.
Pheochromocytoma (PCC) originates from the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla and is a rare, usually benign tumor.

Clinical presentation:

Neuroblastoma commonly presents with symptoms such as fever, palpitation, and weight loss.
Pheochromocytoma is characterized by sustained hypertension, headache, fever, and palpitation.

Treatment:

The distinction between neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma is clinically important because patients with high-risk neuroblastoma require multimodal therapy, while those with pheochromocytomas are often cured with surgical resection alone.

In some cases, tumors with morphologic features of both pheochromocytoma and neuroblastoma have been reported, making the distinction between these two entities challenging. However, a clear understanding of their differences is crucial for determining the appropriate treatment plan for patients.

On this page

What is the Difference Between Neuroblastoma and Pheochromocytoma?

Comparative Table: Neuroblastoma vs Pheochromocytoma

Here is a table comparing the differences between neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma:

Feature	Neuroblastoma	Pheochromocytoma
Definition	A cancer that develops in immature nerve cells found in areas such as the adrenal glands, abdomen, chest, neck, and near the spine.	A benign tumor that secretes catecholamines and is found in the chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland.
Location	Sometimes found elsewhere in the body, not limited to the adrenal glands.	Often found in the adrenal gland.
Age Affected	Mainly affects young children and infants.	Mainly affects adults rather than children.
Malignancy	Malignant.	Benign, but can become malignant in rare cases.
Causes	Due to improperly developing neuroblasts in the fetal stage and is linked to genetic aberrations.	Suspected to be caused by certain genetic disorders such as Von Hippel-Lindau multiple endocrine neoplasia, hereditary paraganglioma syndromes, MAX genes, and genes linked to succinate dehydrogenase subunit SDHB.
Symptoms	Mild hypertension, which can be severe in some cases.	Symptoms include fever, palpitation, and weight loss, but the most common presentation is sustained hypertension.
Treatment	Treatment depends on the stage of the disease and may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy.	Treatment may involve surgery to remove the tumor, but radiation therapy and immunotherapy are sometimes used in high-risk disease cases.
Main Complication	The main complication is metastasis or spread to the bones and liver, potentially leading to death.	The main complication is metastasis or spread to the bones and liver, potentially leading to death.

Please note that the information in this table is based on the provided search results.

Guilherme Mazui

Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.