What is a retroperitoneal paraganglioma?
What is a retroperitoneal paraganglioma?
Retroperitoneal paraganglioma represents between 21.5 and 87% of all paragangliomas (3,4). Paragangliomas are characterized by secretions of excessive catecholamines, including epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine, which may lead to clinical symptoms, including episodic hypertension, tachycardia and diaphoresis.
Is paraganglioma considered cancer?
Paragangliomas are usually noncancerous (benign). But some paragangliomas can become cancerous (malignant) and spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. Paragangliomas are rare tumors.
What are the symptoms of a paraganglioma?
Signs and symptoms of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma include high blood pressure and headache.
- High blood pressure.
- Headache.
- Heavy sweating for no known reason.
- A strong, fast, or irregular heartbeat.
- Being shaky.
- Being extremely pale.
What type of cancer is malignant paraganglioma?
Paraganglioma is a type of neuroendocrine tumor that forms near certain blood vessels and nerves outside of the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are important for making hormones that control many functions in the body and are located on top of the kidneys.
Where is retroperitoneal space?
The retroperitoneum is an anatomical space located behind the abdominal or peritoneal cavity. Abdominal organs that are not suspended by the mesentery and lie between the abdominal wall and parietal peritoneum are said to lie within the retroperitoneum. Several individual spaces make up the retroperitoneum.
What is zuckerkandl organ?
The organ of Zuckerkandl is a chromaffin body derived from neural crest located at the bifurcation of the aorta or at the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery. It can be the source of a paraganglioma.
Is a paraganglioma serious?
Paraganglioma are found in 2 out of every million people each year and is the cause of high blood pressure in less than 0.2% of people with high blood pressure. However, because paraganglioma release adrenaline in uncontrolled bursts, they can cause serious health problems like stroke, heart attacks, and even death.
Can you biopsy paraganglioma?
However, a tumor suspected to be a pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma should not have a biopsy, unless it is absolutely necessary to confirm a diagnosis. A biopsy of these tumors can cause a serious and even life-threatening release of catecholamines.
Where is a paraganglioma located?
Paragangliomas are usually found in the head, neck, or torso. However, a type of paraganglioma known as pheochromocytoma develops in the adrenal glands . Adrenal glands are located on top of each kidney and produce hormones in response to stress. Most people with paraganglioma develop only one tumor in their lifetime.
What causes retroperitoneal hematoma?
Retroperitoneal hematomas are the result of blood loss due to the injury of parenchymal tissue or vascular structures within the retroperitoneal cavity. In the setting of traumatic retroperitoneal hematoma, the mechanism of injury can be broken down into blunt or penetrating.
What does retroperitoneal bleed mean?
Retroperitoneal bleeding occurs when blood enters into space immediately behind the posterior reflection of the abdominal peritoneum. The organs of this space include the esophagus, aorta, inferior vena cava, kidneys, ureters, adrenals, rectum, parts of the duodenum, parts of the pancreas, and parts of the colon.
What stimulates chromaffin cells?
In order to activate chromaffin cells, the splanchnic nerve of the sympathetic nervous system releases acetylcholine, which then binds to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on the adrenal medulla. This causes the release of catecholamines.
Can a sarcoma be mistaken for a retroperitoneal hematoma?
Hematoma. Occasionally, the heterogeneous appearance on contrast-enhanced CT images can be confused with a sarcoma, but the well-defined margin, the absence of contrast enhancement, and the changing appearance with time, with a progressive decrease in size, distinguish retroperitoneal hematoma from sarcoma ( 45, 56 ).
Can a differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal masses be made?
Although the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal masses can be narrowed down to a certain extent on the basis of imaging characteristics, patterns of involvement, and demographics, there is still a considerable overlap of imaging findings for these masses, and histologic examination is often required for definitive diagnosis.
What kind of neoplasms are found in the retroperitoneum?
Solid neoplasms in the retroperitoneum can be broadly divided into four groups: (a) mesodermal neoplasms; (b) neurogenic tumors; (c) germ cell, sex cord, and stromal tumors; and (d) lymphoid and hematologic neoplasms. Retroperitoneal sarcomas constitute 0.1%–0.2% of all malignancies.
Where does the retroperitoneal space merge with the pelvis?
Below the level of the kidneys, the anterior and posterior pararenal spaces merge to form the infrarenal retroperitoneal space, which communicates inferiorly with the prevesical space and extraperitoneal compartments of the pelvis ( 6 – 8 ).