[Malignant pheochromocytoma. Personal experience, review of the literature].

Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-producing tumor of the sympathetic nervous system which in 4-14% of the cases may be malignant. The differentiation between benign and malignant phoechromocytomas is very difficult, the presence of metastatic lesions and gross invasion into surrounding tissues are the lonely accettable parameters to confirm malignancy. Since the patients with malignant pheochromocytomas have a very poor survival rate, care must be taken for an early detections and a careful follow up.

[Therapeutic approach in Riedel thyroiditis].

Riedel's invasive fibrous thyroiditis is a rare disorder of unknown origin with progressive extension and invasion of adjacent structures. Clinically it is impossible to distinguish between Riedel's/thyroiditis and other diseases as undifferentiated carcinoma, Hashimoto's disease etc..

[Assessment of conventional approaches in adrenalectomy].

The choice of operative approach represents one of the main problems of adrenal gland surgery, nowadays the minimally invasive techniques (laparoscopic adrenalectomy) in selected cases may be an important alternative to conventional approaches. Retrospective analysis was performed on 140 patients with adrenal gland tumors from 1980-1997; there were 95 women and 45 men: The tumors were resected through flank extraperitoneal approach (35 patients), transabdominal (91), thoraco-abdominal (14). Operating time, perioperative blood loss, postoperative course were evaluated.

[Parathyroid cysts: comments apropos a case].

A case of non-functioning parathyroid cyst is reported, in which the preoperative diagnosis was missed. A careful review of the pertinent literature allows to outline the correct approach to this rare pathology as for the diagnosis and the treatment; as well, to enlight the current controversies about the physiopathology and the pathology.