Transformation of a Nonfunctional Paraganglioma With I-123 MIBG Scintigraphy Correlation: A Case Report. Issue 2 (January 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Davalos, Eric A; Cho, John; Dave, Hiren; Shen, Hong; Barank, David; Shim, John
• Other Names: Liu. Yiyan section editor.
• Is Part Of: Medicine. Volume 95:Issue 2(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-01
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Périodiques; Geneeskunde; Medicine; Periodicals; Periodicals; 610.5
• DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000002501
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-7974

Abstract

Abstract : Abstract: A 35-year-old woman presenting with abdominal pain was found to have mildly elevated catecholamine levels and a retroperitoneal mass. The patient underwent a negative I-123 MIBG scintigraphy scan and a nondiagnostic fine needle aspiration. Eleven years later the patient presented with a hypertensive emergency and markedly elevated catecholamine levels. A subsequent I-123 MIBG scintigraphy scan showed intense uptake corresponding to the previously seen retroperitoneal mass. The patient underwent surgical resection and pathology confirmed the presence of a paraganglioma A paraganglioma is an extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma that contains chromaffin cells and is thus capable of producing catecholamines. I-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy has become the imaging study of choice for paragangliomas and has a sensitivity of ∼77% to 100% in detecting functional paragangliomas.1 This case demonstrates scintigraphic correlation of the functional transformation of a nonfunctional paraganglioma in a time span of ∼10 years. Although there are previously published case reports of scintigraphic positive, nonfunctional paragangliomas2, 3 and scintigraphic negative chromaffin cell tumors, 4, 5 there has been no prior documented case of scintigraphic transformation on MIBG.