[Hypertensive accident in a surgical patient with unsuspected pheochromocytoma (author's transl)]

Death may follow anesthetic incident in unsuspected pheochromocytoma. They may lead to hypertensive crisis with cerebrovascular accident and severe arythmias or acute left heart failure with pulmonary edema. We report a case illustrating these problems and in which death has followed. Analysis of the 18 cases recorded in world litterature demonstrates a mortality rate of 85 p. cent. The accident can occur in association with surgery, anesthesia and certain, even minor, investigatory procedures. However if the crisis is recognized and appropriatly treated, the patient may recover before irreversible shock occurs.