Paraganglioma of the Bladder / 대한비뇨기과학회지

ABSTRACT

Paragangliomas are rare tumors of a neural crest origin, and belong to the amine- precursor-uptake decarboxylation (APUD) system. The great majority of paraganglioma are in the adrenal medulla. The majority of extraadrenal sites arise near the adrenal or along the nerve plexuses. Paragangliomas are only occasionally found in the wall of the bladder. Their preoperative diagnosis is suspected from a clinical history and an estimation of catecholamines, or their metabolic by-products, in a twenty-four-hour urine sample. The correct diagnosis is not made in the majority of cases because the tumors are frequently silent with regard to hormonal activity. Therefore, an excretory urogram, arteriography and cystoscopy, including biopsy, are important procedures for their preoperative diagnosis. We report a case of paraganglioma arising in the bladder wall, with brief review of literatures.