Hypertensive Crisis in a Patient With an Undiagnosed Pheocromocytoma

Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine secreting tumor which originates in the chromaffin cells of adrenal medulla. Silent pheochromocytomas can become evident with hypertensive attack during anaesthesia. Here is presented a case of pheochromocytoma without high plasma or urinary levels of catecholamines, and without history of hypertension which was detected with hypertensive attack during surgical extirpation. With all the newest medications and techniques that have been developed the anesthetic management of undiagnosed pheochromocytomas are still sources of unexpected problems for the anesthetists. In this case it was a great chance that there were no complications despite the hypertensive crisis.