These cell stain yellow brown with the chrome salts and hence are called
chromaffin cells.
There is evidence to suggest that the plasticity of
chromaffin cells declines during development, which may overlap or be the same as early stages of ageing |17, 18~.
In this syndrome, patients develop polycythemia at a later age relative to HIF2A mutation carriers, but they appear to have a similar high risk of recurrent
chromaffin cell tumors, especially PGL [17, 53].
Grohovaz, "Mechanism of [Ca2+]i oscillations in rat
chromaffin cells.
Alvaro et al., "Regulation of catecholamine release and tyrosine hydroxylase in human adrenal
chromaffin cells by interleukin-1beta: role of neuropeptide Y and nitric oxide," Journal of Neurochemistry, vol.
The columnar or polyhedral
chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla of the African giant rat which form clusters and anastomosing cords separated by sinusoids had also been reported in mammals (Bacha & Bacha).
Mediastinal paragangliomas are extra adrenal
chromaffin cell tumours that account for fewer than 10% of all mediastinal neuroendocrine tumours.2 They represent only 2% of all catecholamine secreting tumours of the body and 0.3% of all mediastinal tumours.2 Paragangliomas maybe functional, if they synthesize and secrete catecholamines or non functional, if they synthesize but donot secrete catecholamines.3
Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) [3] are neuroendocrine tumors arising from adrenal and extraadrenal
chromaffin cells, respectively (1).
Catecholamine-producing tumors are neuroendocrine tumors that affect the
chromaffin cells of adrenal medulla and postganglionic fibers of the sympathetic nervous system.
A phaeochromocytoma is a rare neuro-endocrine tumour of the paraganglionic
chromaffin cells affecting 2-8 persons per million per year.[1-6] Although usually benign, around 10% are found to be malignant.[1,2,7] They can arise in the adrenal medulla and also, in around 10% of cases, in the extra-adrenal paraganglionic cells.[1,3-5] These extra-adrenal tumours are known as paragangliomas.