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Non-functional paraganglioma of the posterior mediastinum

^a Department of Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 7 Chung-Shan South Rd., Taipei 10002, Taiwan, ROC
^b Department of Pathology, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC

*Corresponding author. Tel.: +886-2-2312-3456, ext: 63509; fax: +886-2-3393-3989.

E-mail address: e370089{at}gmail.com (P.-M. Huang).

Mediastinal paraganglioma is a rare and slow growing neurogenic tumor. Here, we describe a 49-year-old woman with a non-functional posterior mediastinal paraganglioma. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for tumor excision failed due to massive bleeding. The tumor was excised successfully by lateral thoracotomy with bipolar electrocautery 1 week after the first operation. Mediastinal paraganglioma remains a surgical challenge due to its hypervascular character and firm adhesion to adjacent mediastinal structure. Since the non-functional posterior mediastinal paraganglioma is often diagnosed after operation, it should be regarded as a differential diagnosis of mediastinal mass, especially if surgeons experience unexpected massive bleeding during operation.

Key Words: Paraganglioma; Mediastinal tumor