Pheochromocytoma in a pregnant woman.

Pheochromocytoma is a rare cause of hypertension. It is even more unusual when associated with gestation. We report a 24-year-old housewife who developed episodic palpitations, flushed face and hypertension during the early postpartum period. Her symptoms were usually induced by abdominal palpation. Biochemical studies, anatomic localization with computed tomography and 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scan identified an adrenal tumor in the left adrenal gland. The patient underwent a left adrenalectomy without any complications. Pathologic examination of the tissue confirmed the clinical diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.