Extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma (paraganglioma)

The authors describe the case of a 19-year-old female patient with an abdominal paraaortic extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma (paraganglioma), presenting arterial hypertension. The predominant catecholamine produced by the tumor was norepinephrine (4110 pg/ml; normal < 450 pg/ml). 131I metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG), computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging allowed location and characterization of the tumor. Histologically the tumor (weight = 34.2 g; 5.8 x 4 x 3 cm) was a typical pheochromocytoma.