A case of pelvic malignant paraganglioma

Paraganglioma (pheochromocytoma) of the urinary bladder: A systematic review with a diagnostic, management and treatment algorithm

Introduction:

Paraganglioma of the urinary bladder is a rare but well-documented tumour. Herein, we provide the largest, comprehensive systematic review of the literature and aim to increase familiarity with this rare but significant neoplasm.

Methods:

A systematic review of the literature was conducted on the NCBI PubMed database. The search criteria were not limited to any specific years or languages. There were 418 articles between January 1953 and August 2020, of which 255 case reports were selected.

Results:

Paragangliomas of the urinary bladder most commonly occurred in Caucasians in the fifth decade of life, most commonly presenting with haematuria and variations of ‘micturition attacks’. Eighty percent of tumours were functionally active. The mucosa was normal in 91% of patients. In all, 25% of tumours were treated with transurethral resection alone, 65% had partial cystectomy and 5% had radical cystectomy. Alpha-blockers were administered pre-operatively in 38% of patients and the risk of intra-operative hypertensive crisis was over three times greater in those who did not receive an alpha-blocker. The tumour was confined to the bladder in 75% of cases. Metastasis occurred in 20% of cases, most commonly to iliac nodes. The mean follow-up time was 26.5 months. In cases that documented follow-up, 18.6% had recurrence, most commonly in lymph nodes and bone.

Conclusion:

All patients presenting with micturition attacks or haematuria with a computed tomography showing an enhancing, well-defined submucosal bladder lesion and/or cystoscopy showing a lesion with normal overlying mucosa should be worked up for a possible paraganglioma of the urinary bladder.

Level of evidence:

Not applicable

[Retroperitoneal non-secreting paraganglioma: a rare cause of high intestinal occlusion]

Les paragangliomes sont des tumeurs neuroendocrines rares diagnostiquées le plus souvent chez le jeune adulte. Nous rapportons le cas rare d'une jeune femme de 20 ans présentant un paragangliome rétropéritonéal situé sur la face antérolatérale de l'aorte et comprimant l'angle duodéno-jéjunal responsable d'un syndrome subocclusif haut. Dans les formes non sécrétantes, la symptomatologie est souvent déroutante. Le diagnostic n'est généralement fait qu'après examen histologique de la pièce de résection. Le traitement de choix repose sur une chirurgie carcinologique intégrant une concertation multidisciplinaire.

Primary intraosseous paraganglioma of the sacrum: a case report

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Paragangliomas are neuroendocrine tumors that most frequently arise in the adrenal medulla, carotid body, and glomus jugulare. However, they have been reported in many other sites throughout the body. Within the central nervous system, the overwhelming majority of paragangliomas arise intradurally in the area of the cauda equina. We report a case of a woman who presented with back pain and radiculopathy and was found to have an intraosseous sacral mass on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Operative biopsy revealed that this lesion was a paraganglioma. Chest, abdomen, and pelvis computed tomography scans revealed no other tumors. This lesion was treated with limited resection, decompression, stabilization, and radiation therapy.

PURPOSE

To report a rare case of an intrasacral paraganglioma that presented with back pain and radiculopathy and was treated with intralesional decompression, stabilization, and radiation.

STUDY DESIGN

Observational case report.

METHODS

A 69-year-old woman presented with back and leg pain. An MRI scan revealed a grade II spondylolisthesis at L5/S1 and a left-sided intraosseus mass at S1 with significant obstruction of the left S1 nerve root foramen. The patient underwent initially an open biopsy of this lesion that revealed a paraganglioma. Subsequently, she underwent transarterial embolization of this lesion, partial resection with decompression of the nerve root, and stabilization and arthrodesis from L4 to the ilium.

RESULTS

Intraoperatively, a highly vascular lesion was encountered. The patient's back and leg pain improved significantly after surgery. She was referred for intensity-modulated radiation therapy. One year after surgery, she was neurologically intact without evidence of growth of the lesion.

CONCLUSIONS

Only two cases of primary intraosseous sacral paragangliomas were reported in the past. We believe that paragangliomas should be included in the differential diagnosis of intraosseous sacral tumors. Optimal treatment of the lesions can be difficult because of their hypervascular nature and the high morbidity associated with complete surgical resection. Treatment should combine preoperative embolisation, surgical resection if possible, and radiation therapy.

[Retroperitoneal non-secreting paraganglioma. Apropos of a case]

Paragangliomas are rare tumors arising from extraadrenal chromaffin cells. These tumors are most commonly found in the adrenal gland but other locations are possible. A 79-year-old woman with abdominal pain underwent computed tomography (CT scan). Surgery was indicated because of the increase in the size of the tumor. Histopathological examination revealed a non secreting paraganglioma in the left retroperitoneum. Paragangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors. They have a greater potential for malignancy than pheochromocytomas due to metastases or local recurrence making surgical excision the treatment of choice.