Removal of catecholamine-secreting chemodectoma. The use of neuroleptanaesthesia, adrenergic blockade and sodium nitroprusside.

A case of catecholamine-secreting chemodectoma of the neck in a 47-year-old male who also had temporal lobe epilepsy is described. Details of presentation, diagnosis and successful treatment are given. He was fully alpha blocked with phenoxybenzamine and given neuroleptic drugs but his blood pressure rose to dangerous levels when the tumour was handled and did not respond to intravenous phentolamine. Sodium nitroprusside was successfully used to achieve blood pressure control.