Premium
Undiagnosed Phaeochromocytoma in the Perioperative Period: Case Reports
Author(s) -
SELLEVOLD O. F. M.,
RÆDER J.,
STENSETH R.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1985.tb02236.x
Subject(s) - medicine , perioperative , period (music) , general surgery , intensive care medicine , anesthesia , physics , acoustics
Phaeochromocytomas appear as frequently as one in 1000–2000 patients. Release of catecholamines may be triggered by events in the perioperative period. Patients whose phaeochromocytomas are diagnosed in this period, have a mortality of about 80%. Three patients with perioperative debut of symptoms of a phaeochromocytoma are presented. A possible drug‐induced release of catecholamines from the tumour is suggested for two of the patients. The first symptoms of a phaeochromocytoma may be arrhythmias and shock, which favours the use of adrenergic blockade prior to elective removal of phaechromocytomas. Therapeutic approaches to the treatment of catecholamine‐induced heart failure may be potassium and magnesium supplements and possibly drugs reducing circulating angiotensin II activities. Caution is advised in the use of digitalis.