Cardiac pheochromocytoma: Resection after diagnosis by 111-indium octreotide scan

Cardiac pheochromocytoma is an exceedingly rare and unusual clinical entity . Only 37 previous surgically treated adult patients were found in review o f the surgical literature. We report the case of a 13-year-old boy who had a cardiac pheochromocytoma that was localized by the Ill-indium diethylenet riamine pentaacetic acid octreotide scintigraphy scan and confirmed by magn etic resonance imaging after computed tomographic and B1-iodine-metaiodoben zylguanidine scans had failed. At operation, a 6-cm pheochromocytoma of the left atrium was found and successfully resected with reconstruction of the left atrium using autologous pericardium. (C) 1999 by The Society of Thora cic Surgeons.