Gallbladder Cancer Concomitant With Para-Aortic Paraganglioma: A Case Report

Gallbladder cancer often presents a poor prognosis and can cause skip metastasis to the para-aortic lymph nodes. Accurate diagnosis is essential for appropriate treatment. We present the case of an 86-year-old male patient with gallbladder cancer initially suspected to have para-aortic lymph node metastasis. Intraoperative pathology of a para-aortic mass revealed that it was a paraganglioma (PGL); both tumors were successfully resected. The patient was discharged on the ninth postoperative day without complications and remained recurrence-free for 18 months. The final diagnosis was gallbladder adenocarcinoma (pT1a(M)pN0pM0, pStage I) and para-aortic PGL. Differentiating para-aortic masses in gallbladder cancer is crucial. Preoperative evaluations, including positron emission tomography-computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasound-fine needle biopsy, can enhance diagnostic accuracy. This case underscores the importance of considering PGL as a differential diagnosis of a para-aortic mass and the value of intraoperative pathology in guiding appropriate surgical interventions.