title: Catecholamine-induced transient myocardial dysfunction.
abstract: This report presents an interesting case of acute myocardial stunning secondary to catecholamine surge from a phaeochromocytoma. A 39-year-old British Asian man was admitted with chest pain, labile blood pressure, dynamic ECG changes and positive troponin I level. Echocardiogram showed severe global impairment of his left ventricular systolic function but sparing of the basal segments. Portable renal ultrasonography revealed a 6 cm mass in the left adrenal gland. The clinical suspicion was of catecholamine-induced acute myocardial dysfunction secondary to underlying phaeochromocytoma. Intravenous alpha blockade resulted in a dramatic clinical improvement and near resolution of the echocardiographic abnormalities. Subsequent coronary angiography confirmed normal coronary arteries. He was discharged, well, on oral alpha-adrenergic and beta-adrenergic blockade. Outpatient metaiodobenzylguanidine scanning was consistent with the diagnosis and a left phaeochromocytoma was successfully removed laparoscopically.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London UK.
authors.forename: Arjun K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hatfield
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Connolly