Pheochromocytoma Across the Perioperative Course: Current Concepts and Clinical Management

Pheochromocytoma is an uncommon neuroendocrine tumor with myriad nonspecific clinical presentations. If not recognized and treated, it is associated with the development of target organ damage and complications such as myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, cerebrovascular accidents, and diabetes mellitus, among numerous others. The pheochromocytoma diagnosis is based on biochemical proof of catecholamine excess followed by imaging localization of the tumor. Patients with newly diagnosed pheochromocytoma should be seen by a multidisciplinary perioperative team, including the anesthesiologist, operating surgeon, endocrinologist, and cardiologist. Perioperative antihypertensive therapy should be instituted prior to adrenal resection to allow for cardiovascular recovery and to hopefully mitigate the hypertensive response to laryngoscopy and tumor manipulation. The anesthesiologist must be prepared to manage both intraoperative hypertension, hypotension, and glycemic disturbances, among other possible complications. Patients with previously undiagnosed pheochromocytoma who present for unrelated surgery represent a high-risk group. Once intraoperatively suspected, priority should be given to immediate stabilization, cessation of surgery when feasible, and close communication with the surgical team regarding whether the procedure should be aborted, limited, or continued based on the urgency of the operation and the patient's clinical status. In most cases, nonessential surgery should be aborted. The postoperative level of care should be based on intraoperative patient courses and institutional protocols and guidelines to monitor and manage postresection hypoglycemia and vasoplegia, when they occur. This narrative review aims to provide practicing anesthesiologists with an updated, practical framework for the perioperative recognition and management of pheochromocytoma. We integrate contemporary evidence with anesthesia-specific decision-making, including the management of catecholamine-induced cardiovascular dysfunction, perioperative fluid and vasoactive therapy, medication-triggered crises, and a dedicated approach to previously undiagnosed pheochromocytoma presenting during unrelated surgery.