The researchers evaluated 43 children with rare
tumors of the adrenal gland, called pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas. (The
adrenal glands are located near the kidneys, and produce adrenaline and other
hormones.)
They found that nine of the children (21 percent)
had been diagnosed with ADHD before doctors discovered their tumors. That's
much higher than the usual rate of ADHD in children, which is 7.2 percent.
What's more, after the tumors were removed, three out of the nine children no
longer had symptoms of ADHD.
"Symptoms of anxiety and difficulty in
concentration in these patients may have been related to their underlying
[tumors]" but were not recognized as signs of these tumors, the
researchers, from the National Institutes of Health, wrote in a paper published
online May 12 in the journal Hormone and Metabolic Research. [Typical Toddler
Behavior, or ADHD? 10 Ways to Tell]
Because high blood pressure is a common symptom
of these tumors (and was seen in four out of the nine children diagnosed with ADHD),
the researchers said that high blood pressure accompanying symptoms of ADHD may
be a warning sign of these underlying tumors.
In children with high blood pressure and ADHD
symptoms, "an evaluation to rule out [these tumors] is warranted prior to
treatment with stimulant medications," they said.
Pheochromocytomas form inside the adrenal gland,
whereas paragangliomas form outside the adrenal gland, according to the
National Cancer Institute. But these tumors are very rare: It's estimated that
pheochromocytomas occur in about 1 in 500,000 people, and paragangliomas occur
in about 1 in 1 million people, according to the National Institutes of Health.
These tumors release compounds called
catecholamines that stimulate the brain and spinal cord, the NIH said. It's
possible that symptoms of these tumors may become worse when children take ADHD
medications, the researchers said.
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