[Hypotension and shock in pheochromocytoma].

A 22-year-old woman was admitted to hospital in shock, the admission diagnosis being lobar pneumonia with septic shock. Ultrasound demonstrated a tumour in the region of the left adrenal, but because of the absence of hypertensive symptoms and hypoglycaemia this was interpreted as a non-contributory finding. Despite intensive therapeutic measures the patient died within a few hours. At autopsy a phaeochromocytoma of the left adrenal gland was found. "Catecholamine myocarditis" resulting in acute cardiac failure, was demonstrated histologically. Phaeochromocytoma with predominant adrenaline or dopamine secretions often takes a normotensive or hypotensive course. Sudden excessive catecholamine release can, as in the described case, cause so-called adrenaline shock. The catecholamine-induced hypoxic-toxic myocardial changes determine the likely outcome.