Mediastinal paraganglioma: complete resection using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2014 Apr;47(2):197-9. doi: 10.5090/kjtcs.2014.47.2.197. Epub 2014 Apr 10.

Abstract

Mediastinal paragangliomas are very rare neuroendocrine tumors. Complete resection is the standard treatment of a paraganglioma because of the tumor's potential malignancy and poor response to chemo- or radiotherapy. However, the highly vascular nature of the tumor and its characteristic anatomic location make complete resection difficult. We report a case of an anterior mediastinal paraganglioma, which was incidentally found on a chest computed tomography scan for chronic cough work-up of a 55-year-old woman. Complete resection was accomplished using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and the patient recovered without any complications.

Keywords: Mediastinal neoplasms; Paraganglioma; Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).

Publication types

  • Case Reports