Takotsubo cardiomyopathy induced by pheochromocytoma: a case report

Pheochromocytoma presents various clinical manifestations and imprecise signs and symptoms. Along with other diseases, it is considered to be ‘the great mimic’. This is the case of a 61-year-old man who on arrival presented with extreme chest pain accompanied by palpitations, and with a blood pressure of 91/65 mmHg. An echocardiogram showed an ST-segment elevation in the anterior leads. The cardiac troponin was 1.62 ng/ml, 50 times the upper limit of normal. Bedside, echocardiography revealed global hypokinesia of the left ventricle, with an ejection fraction of 37%. Because ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction-complicated cardiogenic shock was suspected, an emergency coronary angiography was performed. It showed no significant coronary artery stenosis, while left ventriculography demonstrated left ventricular hypokinesia. Sixteen days after admission, the patient suddenly presented with palpitations, headache and hypertension. A contrast-enhanced abdominal CT showed a mass in the left adrenal area. Pheochromocytoma-induced takotsubo cardiomyopathy was suspected.