A rare cause of cardiogenic shock: catecholamine cardiomyopathy of pheochromocytoma.
Pheochromocytoma is a rare catecholamine secreting tumor that accounts for about 0.04% of cases of hypertension. Other less common cardiovascular manifestations such as arrhythmias, angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, dilated cardiomyopathy, acute heart failure, and cardiogenic shock have occasionally been reported. We describe the case of a 32-year-old previously healthy male patient who died of cardiogenic shock within 10 hours of admission. Postmortem examination showed a catecholamine cardiomyopathy and a pheochromocytoma of the right adrenal gland. Pheochromocytoma with predominant epinephrine or dopamine secretion may take a hypotensive course. Sudden excessive catecholamine release can, as in the described case, cause cardiogenic shock.
Division of Cardiology, S. Maria del Carmine Hospital, Corso Verona, 4, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy. imperadoref@seldati.net
Ferdinando
F
Imperadore
Maurizio
M
Azzolini
Francesco
F
Piscioli
Teresa
T
Pusiol
Arrigo
A
Capitanio
Giuseppe
G
Vergara
D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000209:etiology*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012770:Shock, Cardiogenic / Q000209:etiology*
D002395:Catecholamines