ADHD Misdiagnosis sometimes caused by rare cancers.

NH Healthwatch Articles: ADHD Misdiagnosis sometimes caused by rare cancers.


ADHD Misdiagnosis
Rare cancers may masquerade as ADHD in children, NIH researchers suggest.

Rare tumors called pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas may cause the same symptoms as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, leading to inappropriate treatment that could worsen their symptoms and potentially endanger their health. That's the conclusion of a new study by National Institutes of Health researchers who evaluated a group of pediatric patients diagnosed with the tumors.

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas secrete catecholamines - substances that stimulate the central nervous system. The researchers evaluated 43 children with these tumors from January 2006 to May 2014. Nine of the children (21 percent) had been diagnosed with ADHD before their tumors had been discovered. Four of these nine kids had been treated with stimulant drugs typically prescribed for ADHD (amphetamine, dextroamphetamine or methylphenidate), which caused some to develop headaches, excessive sweating, and hypertension.

After their tumors were removed, three of the nine kids no longer experienced symptoms of ADHD. The study authors suggest that high blood pressure accompanying a diagnosis of ADHD could be a warning sign that the child may have something more than a hyperactivity disorder and that pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas should be on the list of potential causes. The study appears in Hormone and Metabolic Research.

►  Possible Other Causes For Misdiagnosis   (Healthline)


Posted 5/16/16

Scheduled Events

Seussical    (9/6-15)
2001 Space Odyssey    (9/7)
Muster in the Mountains    (9/7-9)
Wingzilla    (9/8)
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino    (9/9)
Things [Mom] Taught Me    (9/13-23)
Reach the Beach    (9/14-15)
WM Storytelling Festival    (9/14-16)
Metallak Race    (9/15)
Mandeville & Richards    (9/15)
Cohase Film Slam    (9/16)
Tricycle Grand Prix   (9/16)
Rodney Crowell    (9/21)
NH Highland Games    (9/21-23)
Don Who    (9/22)
Harvest Celebration    (9/22)
Health & Wellness Fair    (9/22)
Jeep Invasion   (9/22)
Lakes Region Tri Festival    (9/22-23)
Pat Metheny    (9/26)
Driving Miss Daisy    (9/27 - 10/6)
Neko Case    (9/27)
Shot of JD    (9/28)
Dixville Half Marathon    (9/29)
New Hampshire Marathon    (9/29)
Matthew Odell    (9/30)
Lincoln Fall Craft Festival    (10/6&7)
Sparrow Blue & Crowes Pasture    (10/6)
Oktoberfest   (10/6-7)
White Mountain Oktoberfest    (10/6-7)
Fall Foliage Celebration    (10/6-8)
Sandwich Fair    (10/6-8)
Paddle the Border    (10/7)
Lincoln Fall Craft Festival    (10/7-9)
Shadow Play    (10/10)
Killer Joe    (10/11-21)
Greg Brown    (10/12)
Camping & RV Show    (10/12-14)
Riverfire & Horrorfest    (10/13)
Jay Stollman Band    (10/19)
Murder Dinner Train    (10/19-20)
Pumpkin Patch Express    (10/19-21)
All Things Pumpkin    (10/20)
Ethan Setiawan Band    (10/20)
Bettye LaVette    (10/26)
Murder Dinner Train    (10/26-27)
Pumpkin Patch Express    (10/26-28)
Berlin Jazz    (10/27)

◄  Expanded Calendar  ►



Photo Galleries

Miss Berlin-Gorham Competition 2012 New England Brewfest 2014 RiverFire, Berlin, NH 2012 Sugar Hill Lupine Festival Gallery 2012 Bristol-Gorham Foliage
Quick Links

Business Directory

Copyright 2012-2018 by George C. Jobel , 603-491-4340. All Rights Reserved.

Create a Mobile Website
View Site in Mobile | Classic
Share by: