Phaeochromocytoma and severe protracted postoperative hypoglycaemia.

A phaeochromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumour of the adrenal medullary cells of chromaffin origin. Approximately half of these patients are hyperglycaemic, t and nearly 50 per cent require insulin. 2 The management of phaeochromocytoma is by surgical excision of the tumour. The major intraoperative complications are severe hypertension, arrythmias and hypotension following removal. 3 Postoperative hypoglycaemia is a rare complication. 4 We report a case of protracted hypoglycaemia following surgical excision of a phaeochromocytoma.