Pheochromocytoma (PHEO) is sometimes diagnosed incidentally presenting asymptomatically, at least apparently. However, this tumour can produce diverse symptoms, which can sometimes lead to certain complications which it would be advisable to avoid. Objective: to analyse the patient profile associated with symptomatology in patients with PHEO and to develop a predictive model of symptomatic PHEO.

A retrospective study of patients with a diagnosis of PHEO operated on in a tertiary hospital [1984-2021] was carried out. Several variables were analysed. Descriptive, chi-square test and multivariate analysis. Predictive nomograms were developed and evaluated by calculating the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

192 patients with PHEO were analysed. Sixty-four percent (n=123) presented with PHEO-related symptomatology. At the univariate analysis, a decreased likelihood of symptomatology for hereditary PHEO, adrenergic and normal biochemical profiles (OR= 0.10, OR=0.28 and OR=0.33, respectively). Intraoperative and postoperative complications are also higher in patients with symptomatology (OR= 2.46 and OR = 2.70, respectively). At the multivariate level, sex (female: OR 0.33), heredity (OR 0.14), noradrenergic profile (OR 10.78) and intraoperative complications (OR 3.33) maintained the effects of the univariate analysis.

There is a profile among patients with PHEO which may be indicative of the development of symptoms. A male patient with sporadic PHEO and a noradrenergic profile would have a 98% chance of developing symptoms. On the other hand, a female patient with a familial PHEO and no noradrenergic profile would only have a 31% chance of developing symptoms.