Observations on Myocardial Function During Chronic Catecholamine Oversecretion

¹ Cardiac Evaluation Laboratory and the Departments of Medicine and Surgery, Veterans Administration Hospital, and Baylor University College of Medicine, Houston, Texas; Department of Medicine, V. A. Hospital, Sepulveda, California and University of California at Los Angeles

Observations on myocardial function were made in a young patient in whom a pheochromocytoma was secreting large amounts of catecholamines, primarily norepinephrine. Without history of longstanding or severe hypertension, the patient showed evidence of left ventricular failure. When the heart size had returned to normal as a result of preoperative treatment, there was still a loud atrial gallop and hemodynamic evidence of loss of myocardial reserve.