A newly published case report in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth describes the emergency management of a pheochromocytoma crisis in a pregnant woman whose adrenal tumor was initially misdiagnosed as preeclampsia. The case involved an atypical cystic pheochromocytoma with hemorrhage that presented at the onset of labor at 36 weeks and 6 days of gestation, a timing and presentation the authors describe as clinically unusual.
Because its symptoms can overlap with common pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, the report notes that the condition often lacks specific warning signs in pregnant patients, making timely diagnosis difficult.
The authors review the diagnostic and therapeutic process for this patient, including how hormone level testing and imaging examinations were used to identify the tumor during pregnancy. They also discuss the clinical manifestations of pheochromocytoma and the treatment strategies that differ depending on the underlying pathophysiological state, such as whether hemorrhage has occurred within the tumor.
The central challenge highlighted by the case is twofold: recognizing pheochromocytoma in pregnancy before it triggers a crisis, and managing that crisis safely for both mother and fetus once it occurs. The report emphasizes that the unique physiological conditions of pregnancy complicate both steps, since standard diagnostic approaches and treatment decisions must account for the fetus as well as the patient.
As a single-patient case report, the article documents one clinical experience rather than testing a treatment in a study population, and its conclusions are limited to the lessons drawn from this individual case. The authors present it as a contribution to the literature on recognizing and responding to this rare but dangerous cause of gestational hypertension.
Subject of Research: Emergency management of a pheochromocytoma crisis in pregnancy initially misdiagnosed as preeclampsia
Article Title: Emergency management of pheochromocytoma crisis in a pregnant woman with pheochromocytoma initially misdiagnosed as preeclampsia: a case report
Article References: Zhao, Z., Guo, Z., Li, K., Yan, X., Song, Z., Zhu, J., & Chen, Y. (2026). Emergency management of pheochromocytoma crisis in a pregnant woman with pheochromocytoma initially misdiagnosed as preeclampsia: a case report. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-026-10142-z
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1186/s12884-026-10142-z
Keywords: pheochromocytoma, pregnancy, preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, case report, adrenal tumor, emergency management, misdiagnosis, obstetrics, Emergency, management, crisis
News Source: Harold Sullivan. (October 29, 2026). Pheochromocytoma Crisis in Late Pregnancy Misdiagnosed as Preeclampsia. Scienmag.
