Cardiomyopathy in phaeochromocytoma: report of a case with a 16-year follow-up after surgery and review of the literature.

A 39-year-old woman had suffered from congestive heart failure of unknown cause for 3.5 years before a phaeochromocytoma was diagnosed. After pretreatment with phenoxybenzamine, the tumour was removed by surgery resulting in disappearance of signs of heart disease. The patient was followed for 16 years: at that time she was free of symptoms and X-ray and echocardiography showed only a slightly enlarged heart and a minor impairment of left ventricular performance. Six similar cases from the literature are reviewed. The significance of catecholamines in causing heart disease in patients with phaeochromocytoma is discussed.