Open AccessHypertensive crisis during spinal anesthesia due to undiagnosed pheochromocytoma
Author(s) -
Paul Potnuru,
Isabela Saba,
Brian M. Osman
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of critical illness and injury science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.274
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2231-5004
pISSN - 2229-5151
DOI - 10.4103/ijciis.ijciis_82_18
Subject(s) - medicine , pheochromocytoma , hypertensive crisis , anesthesia , hemodynamics , spinal anesthesia , anesthetic , differential diagnosis , surgery , blood pressure , pathology
Undiagnosed pheochromocytoma poses significant intraoperative challenges to the anesthesiologist. These tumors generally cause profound hypotension after spinal anesthesia. We present an unusual case of a hypertensive crisis occurring in a patient under spinal anesthesia. Due to intraoperative hemodynamic instability, the case was converted to general anesthesia with a volatile anesthetic. Postoperative workup was consistent with a pheochromocytoma. Pheochromocytomas are rare, but given their significant intraoperative morbidity and mortality, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexpected intraoperative hemodynamic changes.