Intrapericardial pheochromocytoma

Abstract

Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumor. Most cases are intra-adrenal, and intrapericardial pheochromocytomas are extremely rare. We report a case of a 30-year-old woman with a seven-year history of hypertension. The concentration of blood noradrenaline was found to be elevated. Chest computed tomography scan showed a limited bulge in the superior border of the right atrium. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the existence of a tumor. Coronary arteriography detected a mass near the right atrium, which was nourished by an aberrant branch of the right coronary artery. After preoperative preparation, the patient underwent pericardial tumor resection. Postoperative recovery was uneventful and the patient was successfully discharged 20 days later.