NON-FUNCTIONING RETROPERITONEAL LEFT PARA-RENAL HILAR PARAGANGLIOMA PRESENTING WITH PARANEOPLASTIC SYNDROME

Abstract

A paraganglioma is a type of neuroendocrine    neoplasm that may develop at various body sites (most   commonly abdomen). About 97 are benign the remaining 3 are malignant because they are able to produce distant    metastases. Paragangliomas originate from paraganglia in chromaffinnegative glomus cells derived from the embryonic neural crest cells, functioning as part of the sympathetic  nervous system. Most paragangliomas are either  asymptomatic or present as a painless mass. While all   contain neurosecretory granules, only in 13 of cases is   secretion of hormones such as catecholamines abundant enough to be clinically significant in that case manifestations often resemble those of pheochromacytoma. We herein    report a case of non-functioning retroperitoneal left para-renal hilar paraganglioma encountered in our institution where the patient presented with features of paraneoplastic syndrome( anaemia, amenorrhoea, hypertension, coagulopathy) with chronic vague abdominal pain and occasional palpitation.