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. 2025 Aug 14;25(1):605.
doi: 10.1186/s12872-025-05044-5.

Pheochromocytoma with acute heart failure as a complication-emphasis on the etiology of acute heart failure for diagnosis and treatment: a case report

Ke Wang  1 , Jiayin Liang  1 , Shenghui Shen  2   3
Affiliations

Pheochromocytoma with acute heart failure as a complication-emphasis on the etiology of acute heart failure for diagnosis and treatment: a case report

Ke Wang et al. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. .

Abstract

Background: The primary causes of heart failure include myocardial damage and structural abnormalities. In addition to cardiovascular disease, noncardiovascular disease can also lead to heart failure. Identifying these etiologies is critical for accurate diagnosis and timely, targeted treatment.

Case presentation: The patient presented with a 10-month history of recurrent chest tightness and shortness of breath, with symptoms significantly worsening 6 hours before admission. She was diagnosed with acute heart failure in the decompensated phase, complicated by cardiogenic shock. Stabilization was achieved via an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) and veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO). Further evaluation revealed pheochromocytoma as the underlying cause of acute heart failure. The patient underwent successful surgical resection of the pheochromocytoma, with no recurrence of heart failure symptoms observed during follow-up.

Conclusion: Acute heart failure is a rare but critical condition with rapid onset, often presenting as an emergency. Effective management necessitates life support therapy to stabilize the patient, allowing time for further diagnostic and therapeutic measures.

Keywords: Acute heart failure; Case Report; IABP; Pheochromocytoma; VA-ECMO.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (College of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Clinical Medicine) (2025–042-JY). Consent for publication: Consent for publication Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Bedside electrocardiogram suggesting sinus tachycardia (105 beats/minute) with ST-segment depression in the chest leads
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Chest CT: image suggesting exudative changes in both lungs, a hypodense shadow in the right adrenal region, and no difference in arterial CTA findings
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Cardiac ultrasound image suggesting left ventricular wall thickening, ejection fraction rebound, and normal ventricular size
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Pictures sequentially showing the results of three pathological sections and HE staining
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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