A unique cardiovascular presentation of pheochromocytoma

Abstract

We describe a unique presentation of a pheochromocytoma in a normotensive teenager, who presented with symptoms of headache, neck pain, and palpitations. Holter and event monitor tracings revealed intermittent junctional rhythm causing electromechanical dyssynchrony between atrial and ventricular contraction resulting in reported symptoms. Exercise stress testing helped correlate symptomatic junctional rhythm events to episodic hypertension which led to the eventual diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. The exercise test provided insight into the physiologic coupling that the sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic nervous systems have on the cardiovascular system during exercise and exaggerated hypertension. The patient was found to have MEN2A and partial adrenalectomy resulted in complete resolution of symptoms and arrhythmia. This unusual presentation illustrates the benefit of a comprehensive clinical evaluation, which led to the eventual diagnosis.