Mustafa Demir, Emrah Yerlikaya, Nevzat Karabulut
Journal of Updates in Cardiovascular Medicine - 2025;13(4):186-189
Address for Correspondence: Mustafa Demir, Private Denizli Tekden Hospital, Clinic of Cardiology, Denizli, Türkiye e-mail: mstdemir@gmail.com ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3128-876X Received: 03.09.2025 Accepted: 14.10.2025 Publication Date: 12.12.2025 Cite this article as: Demir M, Yerlikaya E, Karabulut N. A rare case of cardiomyopathy due to pheochromocytoma attack triggered by herbal slimming tea in a young patient. J Updates Cardiovasc Med. 2025;13(4):186-189. Pheochromocytoma (PHEO) is a rare tumor that develops in the adrenal medulla, a region of the adrenal glands. Approximately 30% of PHEO patients have a hereditary syndrome. The clinical picture may vary depending on the amount of hormone secretion and differences in catecholamine sensitivity among individuals. Classic findings include resistant hypertension, palpitations, headaches, and episodes of sweating. Although it is well known today that some Pheochromocytoma (PHEO) is a rare catecholamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumor arising from the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. PHEO can occur at any age, but it is most common in people in their 3th and 5th decades. The rule of 10s for PHEO still holds true: 10% are familial, 10% are bilateral, 10% are extra-adrenal, 10% occur in children, and 10% are malignant. The exact number of PHEO patients is unknown because most individuals with PHEO are asymptomatic. With the increase and advancement of imaging methods today, the diagnosis rate has increased, but despite technological advances, only a very small percentage (<1%) of people with high blood pressure are diagnosed with PHEO. Catecholamine-induced cardiomyopathy in PHEO is a comparatively rare but very difficult to manage complication of PHEO. We present a case of cardiomyopathy due to a PHEO attack triggered by herbal slimming tea in a young female patient.
