A Case of Middle Mediastinal Malignant Paraganglioma.

Park, Sung Bum; Park, Silvia; Bang, Sun Ha; Kim, Eun Kyung; Jeon, Kyeongman; Koh, Won Jung; Suh, Gee Young; Chung, Man Pyo; Kim, Hojoong; Kwon, O Jung; Go, Young Hyeh; Um, Sang Won

doi:2011.70.2.165

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 70(2); 2011 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2011;70(2):165-169.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2011.70.2.165 Published online February 1, 2011.

A Case of Middle Mediastinal Malignant Paraganglioma.

Sung Bum Park, Silvia Park, Sun Ha Bang, Eun Kyung Kim, Kyeongman Jeon, Won Jung Koh, Gee Young Suh, Man Pyo Chung, Hojoong Kim, O Jung Kwon, Young Hyeh Go, Sang Won Um

¹Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
²Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
³Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. sangwonum@skku.edu

Abstract

Pheochromocytomas are neuroendocrine tumors of chromaffin cell that originate in the paraganglia of the adrenal medulla. Approximately 10% of pheochromocytomas are found in the extra-adrenal paraganglia and are called paragangliomas. However, cases of middle mediastinal paragangliomas are very rare. In this case, the patient presented with a voice change and a headache. A middle mediastinal soft tissue mass with marked enhancement was detected on computed tomography of the chest. The 24-hour urine catecholamine level was markedly elevated. The middle mediastinal mass was biopsied via mediastinoscopy and the resulting immunohistochemical staining was compatible with a diagnosis of middle mediastinal paraganglioma. The mass was resected surgically and the symptoms were relieved.

Key Words: Paraganglioma, Mediastinum, Neoplasms