Increased levels of succinate in tumour samples from PPGL patients have been confirmed in a number of studies (Imperiale et al. 2015; Lehtonen et al. 2007; Lendvai et al. 2014; Pollard et al. 2005; Richter et al. 2014) and high succinate to fumarate ratios suggested as a metabolic marker for the detection of SDHB/SDHD-related PPGL tumours (Lendvai et al. 2014). This evidence concerns the gene SDHB and neoplasm.