Pheochromocytoma diagnosed during pregnancy: a case report

Abstract

Pheochromocytoma is a rare catecholamine producing tumor. During pregnancy, this tumor can mimic gestational hypertension, preeclampsia or eclampsia. We present a case of a 38-year-old, multiparous woman admitted at 36 weeks of gestation due to hypertension. After cesarean section, she developed an unexplainable worsening of her hypertension that was resistant to the traditional therapy. Additional investigation lead to the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. This case highlights the importance of an early diagnosis and the need of a multidisciplinary approach for the improvement of pregnancy outcomes in patients with pheochromocytoma.

摘要

嗜铬细胞瘤是一种罕见的产生儿茶酚胺的肿瘤。在妊娠期间, 这种肿瘤可能类似妊娠期高血压、先兆子痫或子痫。我们报道了一名38岁的经产妇在妊娠36周时因高血压入院。剖腹产手术后, 她的高血压恶化了, 这是传统观点无法解释的。经过进一步的检查, 患者确诊为嗜铬细胞瘤。这个病例强调了早期诊断的重要性, 并且需要多学科的方法来改善嗜铬细胞瘤患者的妊娠结局。

The Chinese abstracts are translated by Prof. Dr. Xiangyan Ruan and her team: Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100026, China.

Keywords:

• Pregnancy
• hypertension
• pheochromocytoma
• catecholamine

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).