A case of catecholamine induced heart failure with left ventricular hyphertrophy accompanied by mid-ventricular obstruction

Abstract

A 36 year old Turkish female patient complaining of widespread redness of the skin, shortness of breath, palpitations, nausea, hum and reverberation in the head was examined. The patient was diagnosed with catecholamine induced hypertension, which was caused by paraganglionoma. In addition, left ventricular concentric hypertrophy accompanied by systolic gradient in mid-ventricle, which is rarely observed, was determined by echocardiography. Hypertensive attacks and mid-ventricular systolic gradient disappeared after surgery. This case shows that one of the causes of the heart failure due to catecholamine releasing tumors can be left ventricular obstruction. Copyright © 2002 by the Japanese Heart Journal.