The President and the Pheochromocytoma

President Eisenhower experienced an acute heart attack in September 1955 and died of ischemic cardiomyopathy 14 years later. The autopsy revealed, unexpectedly, a 1.5-cm pheochromocytoma in the left adrenal gland. In view of these hitherto unreported findings, the investigators analyzed the blood pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of cardiology 2007-05, Vol.99 (9), p.1325-1329
Main Authors: Messerli, Franz H., MD, Loughlin, Kevin R., MD, Messerli, Adrian W., MD, Welch, William R., MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - complications
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms - history
Cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiology
Cardiovascular
Dwight Eisenhower
Eisenhower
Famous Persons
Heart
Heart failure
History, 20th Century
Humans
Hypertension - complications
Hypertension - history
Male
Medical treatment
Myocardial Infarction - etiology
Myocardial Infarction - history
Pheochromocytoma - complications
Pheochromocytoma - history
Politics
Sinuses
United States
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Summary:President Eisenhower experienced an acute heart attack in September 1955 and died of ischemic cardiomyopathy 14 years later. The autopsy revealed, unexpectedly, a 1.5-cm pheochromocytoma in the left adrenal gland. In view of these hitherto unreported findings, the investigators analyzed the blood pressure pattern of the president throughout his life. Although hypertension was documented on and off from 1930 until his death, it is unknown whether the pheochromocytoma was present during his presidency. During the later part of President Eisenhower’s life, excessive systolic and diastolic blood pressure spikes were documented, although he concomitantly had severe ischemic cardiomyopathy. In conclusion, most likely, the pheochromocytoma was the underlying cause of this erratic blood pressure pattern and may have worsened the course of the president’s ischemic cardiomyopathy.
ISSN:0002-9149
1879-1913
DOI:10.1016/j.amjcard.2006.12.043