Pancreatic paraganglioma a differential diagnosis of pancreatic mass. Case report

Abstract

Paraganglioma is a rare neoplasm that arises from the chromaffin cells of the autonomic nervous system. Paragangliomas that originate in the pancreas are even rarer with a very low rate of malignancy. Given the small number of cases documented so far, few radiologic characteristics are known about them and they are usually incidental findings in routine imaging studies. The vast majority of pancreatic paragangliomas do not secrete catecholamines and are called “nonfunctioning” and can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain or be asymptomatic. There are only two cases of catecholamine-secreting or “functioning” paragangliomas documented to date, presenting with headache, hypertension, and palpitations. Pancreatic paragangliomas reported so far have occurred in multiple locations in the pancreas, including the head, body, and tail. The risk of malignant transformation of paragangliomas makes surgical resection the treatment of choice, and aggressive surgery and close postoperative follow-up are mandatory to achieve disease-free survival. In this study we present the case of an 83-year-old patient with a diagnosis of non-functioning paraganglioma confirmed by pathological anatomy, located in the cephalic portion of the pancreas. We also review relevant literature.