[Acute heart failure as an initial symptom of juvenile pheochromocytoma. Glucocorticoid therapy as a possible cause of normotension]. / Akute Herzinsuffizienz als Erstsymptom eines kindlichen Phaeochromocytoms. Glucocorticoidtherapie als Mögliche Ursache der Normotension.

ABSTRACT

A 13 years old girl was admitted with heart failure. Suspected myocarditis could not be proved. Initially slightly elevated blood pressure values normalized but raised again to hypertensive values when glucocorticoid treatment was discontinued; high blood pressure was associated with tachycardia. Determination of catecholamines and metabolites in urine revealed highly elevated levels mainly of norepinephrine. A phaeochromocytoma could be localized sonographically by angiography and selective determinations of catecholamines in samples taken from different parts of the caval vein. An extraadrenal tumor could be removed and the patient's symptoms ceased.