Non-functional retroperitoneal paraganglioma: A case report

Abstract

Paragangliomas are extra-adrenal tumors of the autonomic nervous system and may be found within the skull base, neck, chest, and abdomen. When presenting within the abdominal cavity, they may arise as a primary retroperitoneal neoplasm and can mimic vascular malformations or other conditions related to specific retroperitoneal organs such as the pancreas, kidneys.[1] They synthesize, store, and secrete catecholamines because of which they may present with headache, sweating, palpitation, and symptoms of hypertension (functional).[2] In the absence of histological diagnosis and symptoms of catecholamine excess (non-functional), these may be mistaken for GISTs.[3] We are reporting a case of a 36-year-old female who was clinically diagnosed as GIST, underwent excision, and postoperative histopathological examination was found to be paraganglioma.

Keywords

• Catecholamine excess
• non-functional paraganglioma
• retroperitoneal GIST