Key result
Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas present with acute cardiac events in ~7% of cases, mostly apical-sparing Takotsubo.
Why the study?
Catecholamine excess from pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas can cause diverse cardiac manifestations, but comprehensive analysis of acute cardiac complications and subclinical myocardial injuries in a large cohort was lacking.
Cohort (n=189)
No
Acute cardiac complications occur in approximately 7.4% of patients with pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas, often presenting as Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy with an apical sparing pattern, while subclinical myocardial injuries are present in nearly a third of asymptomatic patients.
Supports cardiac vigilance in pheochromocytoma care; observational data leaves open screening impact on outcomes.
BACKGROUND: Catecholamine excess arising from pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) can cause a wide spectrum of cardiac manifestations, including acute cardiac complications (ACCs) and subclinical myocardial injuries (SMIs). In this study, we aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of ACCs and SMIs in a large cohort of patients with PPGLs. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of consecutive patients with PPGLs admitted between January 2013 and July 2020 (n = 189). The prevalence of ACCs and SMIs and characteristics of patients identified with ACCs and SMIs were investigated. Moreover, comparisons were performed between patients with and without ACCs. RESULTS: Fourteen patients (7.4%) fulfilled the criteria for ACCs, including nine (4.8%) who presented with Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy, four (2.1%) with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and finally one (0.5%) with catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy. Compared to those without ACCs (n = 175), patients with ACCs had a higher prevalence of epinephrine-producing PPGLs (81.8% vs 33.9%, P = 0.006) and were more likely to show invasive behavior (61.5% vs 27.3%, P = 0.022) or hemorrhage/necrosis (53.9% vs 17.4%, P = 0.005) on histology. The apical sparing pattern (5/7, 71.4%) was the dominant impairment pattern of longitudinal strain (LS) for patients displaying Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy. In patients without cardiac symptoms, a fairly high proportion (21/77, 27.3%) of patients who underwent screening for troponin and/or natriuretic peptide and/or echocardiography had SMIs. CONCLUSIONS: One in every fourteen PPGL patients presented with ACCs, and in the patients with Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy, the apical sparing pattern was the primary impairment pattern of LS. Additionally, nearly one-third of patients without symptoms had SMIs. The diagnosis of PPGLs should be considered in patients with acute reversible cardiomyopathy, especially in those exhibiting an apical sparing pattern of LS.
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Zhou et al. (2021) conducted a cohort in Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (n=189). Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma was evaluated on Prevalence of acute cardiac complications (ACCs). Among 189 patients with pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas, 7.4% presented with acute cardiac complications, predominantly Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy with an apical sparing pattern.
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