A Case Report and Literature Review of Pheochromocytoma Without Tachycardia

This case report highlights a 47-year-old woman with an adrenal incidentaloma and a history of polysubstance abuse, finally diagnosed with pheochromocytoma. Characterized by episodic hypertension, headaches, and palpitations, pheochromocytoma is a rare condition with potential complications like unc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2024-04, Vol.16 (4), p.e57643
Main Authors: Stojanovic, Nikola, Ukenenye, Emmanuel, Khan, Abdullah, Gunsburg, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Antihypertensives
Asymptomatic
Blood pressure
Cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiac stress tests
Cardiology
Cardiovascular disease
Case reports
Cocaine
Diabetes
Electrocardiography
Endocrinology
Endocrinology/Diabetes/Metabolism
Heart rate
Hormones
Hypertension
Hypotension
Internal Medicine
Metastasis
Patients
Thyroid gland
Tomography
Tumors
Ultrasonic imaging
Urology
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Summary:This case report highlights a 47-year-old woman with an adrenal incidentaloma and a history of polysubstance abuse, finally diagnosed with pheochromocytoma. Characterized by episodic hypertension, headaches, and palpitations, pheochromocytoma is a rare condition with potential complications like uncontrolled hypertension and heart failure. Remarkably, during her 28-day hospitalization, continuous monitoring revealed no instances of tachycardia or arrhythmias despite multiple symptomatic episodes. This finding aligns with reports that while 50-70% of symptomatic pheochromocytoma patients experience palpitations, only about 20% exhibit detectable tachycardia or arrhythmias. This discrepancy suggests varied individual cardiovascular responses to catecholamine surges, possibly due to differences in catecholamine inactivation rates and receptor sensitivity. This case underscores the complexity of pheochromocytoma symptoms and highlights the need for personalized diagnostic and management strategies. Furthermore, it points to a significant gap in understanding the correlation between palpitations and arrhythmia in pheochromocytoma, indicating a critical area for future research.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.57643