Successful resection of pheochromocytoma in a hemodialysis patient

Abstract

A 45-year-old woman with a pheochromocytoma who had been on regular hemodialysis for 4 years and underwent successful surgery is described. Careful preoperative management, including the use of prazosin and weight control, was carried out to prevent severe intraoperative and postoperative cardiovascular complications. Prazosin was given at an initial dose of 0.5 mg/day, and the dosage was increased to 20 mg/day prior to surgery. The increase in intravascular volume led to a gain of 3 kg in body weight. No deterioration of the cardiovascular or respiratory function was caused by these maneuvers, and surgery was performed without significant complications except for a rapid rise of blood pressure during tumor resection. To our knowledge, only one similar case report could be found in the English literature.