Objective To investigate clinical features of pheochromocytoma and summarize experiences of anesthetic management during the perioperative period. Methods Two hundred and fifty eight patients who were diagnosed with pheochromocytoma in our hospital were reviewed retrospectively for clinical features. According to different preoperative pharmalogical preparations, perioperative mortalities were analyzed in three periods (Period 1: January 1955-December 1975; Period 2: January 1976-December 1994; Period 3: January 1995-July 2001). In Period 3, hemodynamic changes in the patients undergoing different anesthetic methods were analyzed. Results About 5.8% (15/258) of pheochromocytoma was an integral part of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type Ⅱ or mixed type. Sixty percent (149/249) of the patients who had undergone surgery possessed evidence of catecholamine cardiac toxicity preoperatively. Impaired glucose tolerance was found in 59% (147/249) of the patients before surgery. Perioperative mortality was significantly decreased from 8% (5/60) in Period 1 to 1.2% (1/75) in Period 2 (P