Urinary bladder paraganglioma - A rare dreaded tumor

Catecholamine-secreting tumors that arise from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla and the sympathetic ganglia are referred to as pheochromocytomas and extra adrenal catecholamine-secreting paragangliomas (extra adrenal pheochromocytomas), respectively. Bladder paragangliomas are rare entities with initial non-specific presenting symptomatology. Differentiation of urinary bladder pheochromocytomas from other bladder tumors has important treatment implications. We have presented here the case of a 55 year old female who presented to our outpatient urology clinic with complains of hematuria for 3 months and headache for 1 month. Cystoscopy revealed diffusely thickened bladder wall with a well circumscribed smooth surfaced mass protruding from the right lateral wall of the bladder. Multiple biopsies were taken and sent for histopathology. After cystectomy, diagnosis of paraganglioma of bladder was done by histopathology and immunohistochemistry.