Biomaterial Database

Functioning paraganglioma of the thoracic spine: case report. 2003

Graham Joseph Jeffs, and Gabriel Yin Foo Lee, and George Tse-Hwai Wong

Department of Neurosurgery, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia. jeffsyg@hotmail.com

OBJECTIVE Paragangliomas of the thoracic spine are rare. Previously described cases involved nonfunctioning tumors. This report documents the diagnosis and surgical treatment for a patient who presented with a functioning thoracic paraganglioma. METHODS A 53-year-old woman presented with a 10-month history of headaches, facial flushing, and palpitations associated with hypertension. Urinary catecholamine levels were markedly elevated. Magnetic resonance imaging and m-[(123)I]iodobenzylguanidine scans demonstrated an extradural tumor located within the T12 vertebra, with a significant paraspinal component. The neurological examination revealed mild hypesthesia in the right T12 dermatome. METHODS The patient underwent resection of the tumor after alpha-adrenergic receptor blockade. Grossly complete excision was achieved without neurological complications. Postoperatively, the patient was normotensive and exhibited catecholamine levels within the normal range. CONCLUSIONS Functioning paragangliomas of the thoracic spine are rare lesions that are difficult to treat. Successful treatment requires careful surgical planning and expert pharmacological manipulation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008279	Magnetic Resonance Imaging	Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques.	Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010235	Paraganglioma	A neural crest tumor usually derived from the chromoreceptor tissue of a paraganglion, such as the carotid body, or medulla of the adrenal gland (usually called a chromaffinoma or pheochromocytoma). It is more common in women than in men. (Stedman, 25th ed; from Segen, Dictionary of Modern Medicine, 1992)	Paraganglioma, Gangliocytic,Paragangliomata,Gangliocytic Paraganglioma,Gangliocytic Paragangliomas,Paragangliomas,Paragangliomatas
D011300	Preoperative Care	Care given during the period prior to undergoing surgery when psychological and physical preparations are made according to the special needs of the individual patient. This period spans the time between admission to the hospital to the time the surgery begins. (From Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed)	Care, Preoperative,Preoperative Procedure,Preoperative Procedures,Procedure, Preoperative,Procedures, Preoperative
D002395	Catecholamines	A general class of ortho-dihydroxyphenylalkylamines derived from TYROSINE.	Catecholamine,Sympathin,Sympathins
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000317	Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists	Drugs that bind to but do not activate alpha-adrenergic receptors thereby blocking the actions of endogenous or exogenous adrenergic agonists. Adrenergic alpha-antagonists are used in the treatment of hypertension, vasospasm, peripheral vascular disease, shock, and pheochromocytoma.	Adrenergic alpha-Receptor Blockaders,alpha-Adrenergic Blocking Agents,alpha-Adrenergic Receptor Blockaders,alpha-Blockers, Adrenergic,Adrenergic alpha-Blockers,alpha-Adrenergic Antagonists,alpha-Adrenergic Blockers,Adrenergic alpha Antagonists,Adrenergic alpha Blockers,Adrenergic alpha Receptor Blockaders,Agents, alpha-Adrenergic Blocking,Antagonists, alpha-Adrenergic,Blockaders, Adrenergic alpha-Receptor,Blockaders, alpha-Adrenergic Receptor,Blockers, alpha-Adrenergic,Blocking Agents, alpha-Adrenergic,Receptor Blockaders, alpha-Adrenergic,alpha Adrenergic Antagonists,alpha Adrenergic Blockers,alpha Adrenergic Blocking Agents,alpha Adrenergic Receptor Blockaders,alpha Blockers, Adrenergic,alpha-Antagonists, Adrenergic,alpha-Receptor Blockaders, Adrenergic
D013120	Spinal Cord Neoplasms	Benign and malignant neoplasms which occur within the substance of the spinal cord (intramedullary neoplasms) or in the space between the dura and spinal cord (intradural extramedullary neoplasms). The majority of intramedullary spinal tumors are primary CNS neoplasms including ASTROCYTOMA; EPENDYMOMA; and LIPOMA. Intramedullary neoplasms are often associated with SYRINGOMYELIA. The most frequent histologic types of intradural-extramedullary tumors are MENINGIOMA and NEUROFIBROMA.	Intradural-Extramedullary Spinal Cord Neoplasms,Intramedullary Spinal Cord Neoplasms,Intramedullary Spinal Cord Neoplasms, Primary,Neoplasms, Spinal Cord,Primary Intramedullary Spinal Cord Neoplasms,Primary Spinal Cord Neoplasms, Intramedullary,Spinal Cord Neoplasms, Benign,Spinal Cord Neoplasms, Intradural-Extramedullary,Spinal Cord Neoplasms, Intramedullary,Spinal Cord Neoplasms, Malignant,Spinal Cord Neoplasms, Primary Intramedullary,Tumors, Spinal Cord,Intradural Extramedullary Spinal Cord Neoplasms,Neoplasm, Spinal Cord,Spinal Cord Neoplasm,Spinal Cord Neoplasms, Intradural Extramedullary,Spinal Cord Tumor,Spinal Cord Tumors,Tumor, Spinal Cord
D013904	Thoracic Vertebrae	A group of twelve VERTEBRAE connected to the ribs that support the upper trunk region.	Vertebrae, Thoracic