Use of magnesium sulphate in the anaesthetic management of phaeochromocytoma in pregnancy.

The anaesthetic management of two patients with phaeochromocytoma complicating pregnancy is presented. In one patient, the operative delivery was followed by elective tumour resection at a later stage. Magnesium sulphate was used as an adjunct to all three anaesthetics, with notable success on two occasion. In one of the operative deliveries, it proved impossible to achieve adequate blood levels of magnesium, due to severe pre-existing magnesium deficiency. Hypomagnesaemia is likely to be present in such cases and must be corrected preoperatively. Magnesium sulphate is a useful adjunct to the anaesthetic management of the pregnant patient with a phaeochromocytoma provided that adequate serum levels of magnesium can be established.