Long-term efficacy of doxazosin plus atenolol in the management of severe and sustained arterial hypertension and reversibility of the cardiac damage induced by chronic cathecolamine excess. A case report in a young girl with recurrent, functioning paraganglioma

Abstract

Herein we report on a young girl with recurrent, functioning paraganglioma of the organ of Zuckerkandl and severe and sustained arterial hypertension (systolic pressure >200, diastolic pressure >120 mmHg); with evidence of cardiac damage induced by chronic cathecolamine excess. She promptly and steadily improved after the institution of doxazosin (6 mg/day) plus atenolol (50 mg bid) treatment. This case demonstrates that a correct therapeutic strategy in the long-term management of patients with inoperable catecholamine-producing neuroendocrine tumors (pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas) can maintain arterial pressure in the normal range and reverse the cardiac damage induced by chronic cathecolamine excess.