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Case Reports
. 2016 May-Jun;68(3):381-5.
doi: 10.1016/j.ihj.2016.03.035. Epub 2016 Apr 12.

Adrenal and extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas presenting as life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias: Report of three cases

Sai Satish Oruganti  1 , Mallikarjun Gambeer Rao  2 , Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy Pisapati  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Adrenal and extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas presenting as life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias: Report of three cases

Sai Satish Oruganti et al. Indian Heart J. 2016 May-Jun.

Abstract

Pheochromocytoma patients can rarely have prolonged QT interval in the ECG. We report three cases of pheochromocytoma in females presenting with ventricular arrhythmia; two had torsades de pointes and a third patient had frequent VPCs and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. All the patients were treated with surgical removal of the tumor with complete relief of symptoms and normalization of QT interval.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Cardiac monitor tracing showing polymorphic ventricular tachycardia.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Baseline ECG showing long QTc of 540 ms.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Contrast-enhanced CT-abdomen showing a mass in the right adrenal region in case 1 (A) and case 3 (B), and a paracaval retroperitoneal mass in case 2 (C).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Histopathology showing round to polygonal cells with abundant granular amphophilic cytoplasm arranged in well-defined nests (zellbalen appearance).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Holter trace showing torsades de pointes.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Holter trace showing nonsustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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