Extra-adrenal paraganglioma: Mesenteric tumour of uncommon origin

A 55-year-old woman was referred from gynaecology to general surgery, after an annual gynaecological check-up, for surgical evaluation of an asymptomatic intra-abdominal tumour located in the hypogastric region. An abdomino-pelvic computed tomography scan was performed (Fig. 1A), confirming a hypervascularised pelvic mass suggestive of a 7 × 8×6 cm solid primary tumour of mesenteric origin, with no intestinal infiltration or distant involvement. After local resection surgery (Fig. 1B), the anatomopathological study confirmed the definitive diagnosis of extra-adrenal paraganglioma of atypical location (Fig. 1C), requiring lifelong controls with chromogranin A levels, due to its risk of malignisation.

Fig. 1