Phaeochromocytoma in pregnancy

The Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, is a tertiary referral hospital with over 7,000 deliveries per year. We report 3 cases of phaeochromocytoma in pregnancy at the hospital in the 20-year period since 1976. The first case was unsuspected and resulted in a maternal death. The subsequent 2 cases were diagnosed antenatally with successful outcomes for both mother and baby. The 3 cases demonstrate the importance of an early antenatal diagnosis and the special management problems of phaeochromocytoma in pregnancy. The diagnosis of phaeochromocytoma should be considered in any pregnant women with severe hypertension, particularly if presenting before 20 weeks' gestation, labile, or associated with sweating, palpitations or headaches.