Pheochromocytoma-induced cardiogenic shock successfully treated by extracorporeal circulation

Pheochromocytoma can present with various symptoms including cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest. Particularly, in cases of cardiogenic shock of unknown origin, pheochromocytoma should be considered. A 20-year-old woman without any medical history visited our emergency department due to nausea, vomiting, headache, and chest pain. Echocardiography revealed severe left ventricular dysfunction. Mechanical ventilation and veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were implemented owing to her unstable vital signs. For unstable vital sign and cardiogenic shock in a young woman without any previous medical history, pheochromocytoma was considered and diagnosed based on elevated levels of catecholamine derivatives in a 24-hour urine sample. Cardiac function recovered and ECMO was discontinued on the 5th day of hospitalization. She later underwent an elective adrenalectomy and no recurrence was found during the follow-up period. We reported a case of pheochromocytoma which was presented with cardiogenic shock in a young woman with no concomitant disease, and successfully treated with ECMO followed by an elective adrenalectomy.