Type A Aortic Dissection Complicated by Pheochromocytoma

Brianne Runyan; Courtney R Hanak; Sagana Mahendiran; Shaym Allamaneni; Samuel Vester

doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.05.084

Type A Aortic Dissection Complicated by Pheochromocytoma

Ann Thorac Surg. 2019 Jan;107(1):e13-e14. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.05.084. Epub 2018 Jul 2.

Authors

Brianne Runyan¹, Courtney R Hanak², Sagana Mahendiran³, Shaym Allamaneni¹, Samuel Vester¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Jewish Hospital, Kenwood, Ohio.
² Department of Surgery, Jewish Hospital, Kenwood, Ohio. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ School of Medicine, Saba University, Saba, Dutch Caribbean.

PMID: 30558735
DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.05.084

Abstract

This report presents a case of aortic dissection as the patient's initial presentation of an undiagnosed pheochromocytoma. A 36-year-old man presented with substernal chest pressure and abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed type A aortic dissection with a 3.6-cm left adrenal mass. Elevated catecholamine levels were diagnostic of pheochromocytoma. Type A aortic dissection caused by uncontrolled hypertension secondary to pheochromocytoma is a rare entity. This can complicate surgical planning. Although this situation is rare, it is important to consider pheochromocytoma in the differential diagnosis of uncontrolled hypertension in the setting of type A aortic dissection.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / complications*
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / diagnosis*
Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / surgery
Adult
Aortic Dissection / diagnosis*
Aortic Dissection / etiology*
Aortic Dissection / surgery
Humans
Hypertension / etiology
Male
Pheochromocytoma / complications*
Pheochromocytoma / diagnosis*
Pheochromocytoma / surgery