Tetralogy of Fallot with pheochromocytoma: an unusual therapeutic challenge

Neuroendocrine tumour with Tetralogy of Fallot: a case report

Paragangliomas occurring with cyanotic heart disease is a known association. We present a case of an active paraganglioma in a child with unoperated Tetralogy of Fallot, which posed a management challenge considering the pathophysiology of both these conditions.

The role of microRNAs in the pathophysiology of adrenal tumors

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. Due to its association with an assortment of diseases, miRNAs have been extensively studied in the last decade. In this review, the current understanding of the role of miRNAs in the pathophysiology of adrenal tumors is discussed. The recent contributions of high-throughput miRNA profiling studies have identified miRNAs that have functional and molecular roles in adrenal tumorigenesis. With respect to the biological heterogeneity of adrenal tumors and the limitations of the current treatments, an improved understanding of miRNAs may hold potential diagnostic and therapeutic value to facilitate better clinical management.

Tetralogy of Fallot and pheochromocytoma in a situs inversus totalis: An unusual association

Introduction: Situs inversus totalis is an uncommon anomaly which exist a complete transposition of organs and it’s occasionally associated with congenital heart diseases, such as tetralogy of fallot. Pheochromocytoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor with an annual incidence of 2-8 cases per million people and for years has been studied its relationship with the hypoxic pathway.

Case Report: A 29 year old male with a history of tetralogy of fallot corrected at 10 years and situs inversus totalis. He was admitted to hospital with a progressive story of four months of constipation, palpitations, headache, dyspnea and sweating. Physical examination revealed a thinned man with peripheral cyanosis, clubbing and signs of decompensated congestive heart failure as hepatomegaly, legs edema, multifocal systodiastolic murmurs, abdominal distension and jugular venous distention. The echocardiogram shows severe right ventricular dysfunction and severe pulmonary hypertension. Furthermore, abdominal computed tomography shows right adrenal mass. Elevated metanephrines and catecholamines confirmed the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Surgical removal is decided and preoperative management begins with alpha-adrenergic blockade, however the patient had a hemodynamic decompensation with an unfavorable evolution.

Discussion: In conclusion, there are few reports of cyanotic congenital heart disease with pheochromocytoma. Several studies show a significant association between both of them due to chronic hypoxia leads sustained hyperresponsiveness in adrenal medulla and it would cause the tumor. Special preoperative management of pheochromocytoma is recommended when there underlying heart disease and congestive heart failure. We present the first international report of tetralogy of fallot and pheochromocytoma in a patient with situs inversus totalis.

Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma in cyanotic congenital heart disease

CONTEXT

Aberrant cellular oxygen sensing is a leading theory for development of pheochromocytoma (PHEO) and paraganglioma (PGL).

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that chronic hypoxia in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) increases the risk for PHEO-PGL.

DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS

We investigated the association between CCHD and PHEO-PGL with two complementary studies: study 1) an international consortium was established to identify congenital heart disease (CHD) patients with a PHEO-PGL diagnosis confirmed by pathology or biochemistry and imaging; study 2) the 2000-2009 Nationwide Inpatient Survey, a nationally representative discharge database, was used to determine population-based cross-sectional PHEO-PGL frequency in hospitalized CCHD patients compared with noncyanotic CHD and those without CHD using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, and genetic PHEO-PGL syndromes.

RESULTS

In study 1, we identified 20 PHEO-PGL cases, of which 18 had CCHD. Most presented with cardiovascular or psychiatric symptoms. Median cyanosis duration for the CCHD PHEO-PGL cases was 20 years (range 1-57 y). Cases were young at diagnosis (median 31.5 y, range 15-57 y) and 7 of 18 had multiple tumors (two bilateral PHEO; six multifocal or recurrent PGL), whereas 11 had single tumors (seven PHEO; four PGL). PGLs were abdominal (13 of 17) or head/neck (4 of 17). Cases displayed a noradrenergic biochemical phenotype similar to reported hypoxia-related PHEO-PGL genetic syndromes but without clinical signs of such syndromes. In study 2, hospitalized CCHD patients had an increased likelihood of PHEO-PGL (adjusted odds ratio 6.0, 95% confidence interval 2.6-13.7, P < .0001) compared with those without CHD; patients with noncyanotic CHD had no increased risk (odds ratio 0.9, P = .48).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a strong link between CCHD and PHEO-PGL. Whether these rare diseases coassociate due to hypoxic stress, common genetic or developmental factors, or some combination requires further investigation.

Pheochromocytoma and tetralogy of Fallot: Coincidence or a rare association?

We report the case of a 25-year-old woman with tetralogy of Fallot who presented with chest pain and hypertension, and on further investigation, was diagnosed with a pheochromocytoma in the right adrenal gland. She underwent surgical excision of the tumor. While the simultaneous occurrence of these two diseases is extremely rare, the suspicion of a possible relationship has been raised in the past.