Why the study?
Due to its rarity and episodic character, pheochromocytoma is frequently misdiagnosed in the initial instance.
Case Report (n=1)
This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for pheochromocytoma in patients presenting with unexplained cardiac dysfunction or myocarditis, even when presenting atypically with hypotension.
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Supports suspicion for pheochromocytoma in atypical cardiac presentations; hypothesis-generating and should not change practice.
Pheochromocytoma is a neuroendocrine tumor of the adrenal gland. It can cause a range of symptoms, but the main ones are palpitations, pallor, headaches, and sweating. Due to its rarity and episodic character, it is frequently misdiagnosed in the initial instance. We report the case of a young woman in her twenties who was misdiagnosed with hypotension, headache, cough, and palpitations, and an echocardiography revealed reduced cardiac function. She was initially diagnosed with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy and then with myocarditis based on clinical and radiological findings, and she was treated for cardiogenic shock. She continued to have a headache, which was diagnosed as a cardiac cephalalgia. Despite receiving topiramate and analgesia, she continued to have headaches and hypotension. She was found to have periodic episodes of hypertension, prompting a pheochromocytoma screening. She had a successful adrenalectomy and recovered well. This case report emphasizes the significance of having a high degree of suspicion for pheochromocytoma in individuals presenting with unexplained cardiac dysfunction.
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Hassan et al. (2025) conducted a case report in Pheochromocytoma with Catecholamine-Induced Myocarditis (n=1). Adrenalectomy was evaluated.
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