The anaesthetic management of a patient with a reninoma

We report on the anaesthetic management of a 28-year-old woman presenting for excision of a reninoma. This is a very rare tumour of the juxtaglomerular cells of the kidney, which can be cured immediately by surgery. Previous reports have failed to record the presence or absence of peri-operative cardiovascular lability. We have shown that blood pressure, cardiac index (CI) and systemic vascular resistance (SVRI) were remarkably stable in our patient throughout surgery, even during manipulation of the tumour. Isolation of the tumour was associated with a 23% reduction in SVRI, and a similar decrease in blood pressure. The cardiovascular lability associated with the removal of catecholamine-secreting tumours was not seen in this case.