Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background: Carotid body paragangliomas（CBP）generally lack clinical manifestations of catecholamine excess. some patients may exhibit a dopaminergic biochemical phenotype characterized by elevated dopamine levels. Case Report: We report a patient with a CBP who presented with paroxysmal hypertension and recurrent syncope. Biochemical evaluation revealed elevated plasma dopamine and 3-methoxytyramine (3-MT) levels, whereas other catecholamines remained within the reference ranges. The symptoms improved following tumor resection.
Discussion: Elevated dopamine alone cannot fully explain the paroxysmal hypertension. Transient catecholamine release during symptomatic episodes may have contributed. Because dynamic monitoring during episodes and postoperative biochemical reassessment were unavailable, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.
Conclusion: Dopaminergic CBP may exhibit heterogeneous hemodynamic presentations. Individualized preoperative assessment based on the patient’s clinical presentation may help optimize perioperative management.