Abstract
This paper presents a case of retroperitoneal paraganglioma with hepatic metastasis 7 years after operation for the primary foci in a 44-year-old woman. The patient had been pointed out abnormal findings on an abdominal ultrasonography in October 1992, and had undergone an excision of a tumor with a diagnosis of retroperitoneal tumor. The tumor was present in the retroperitoneal cavity surrounded by the pancreas, liver, duodenal bulb, and gastric fundus; adhesion about 3cm with the pancreas was confirmed; and the tumor involved the left hepatic artery. Pathological diagnosis was nonfunctioning paraganglioma. Six years and 10 months after the operation, in October 1999, a hepatic tumor was found while she was followed in the clinic. A partial hepatectomy was performed. The resected tumor was diagnosed as hepatic metastasis of the paraganglioma.
Paraganglioma often metastasizes or recurs after a long silent time after the resection, even if it is diagnosed as histologically benign. Consequently, the disease may require postoperative observation of clinical course for a long time.
