An exclusively dopamine secreting paraganglioma in the retroperitoneum: a first clinical case in Korea

• Published in: Annals of surgical treatment and research pp. 389 - 393
• Main Authors: Jin Wook Yi, Eun Mee Oh, 이규언, June Young Choi, Do Hoon Koo, Kyung Joo Kim, 정경천, 김성연, 윤여규
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 대한외과학회 01.06.2012
• Subjects: 일반외과학
• ISSN: 2288-6575; 2288-6796

Exclusively dopamine producing retroperitoneal paragangliomas are extremely rare. We have experienced the first Korean case managed successfully based on the proper evaluation. A 26-year-old female patient came to our attention after the accidental detection of an adrenal mass. She had no symptoms and denied any family history. Laboratory evaluations were normal but serum dopamine (425 ng/L) and 24-hour urine dopamine levels (1,565.3 mg/day) were elevated. She underwent laparoscopic right adrenalectomy. Histopathological diagnosis was a paraganglioma. After operation, dopamine levels in serum and 24-hour urine dropped to 0.09 ng/L and 388.4 mg/day. Dopamine producing paraganglioma elicit no clinical symptoms. Only the dopamine level is elevated in serum and 24-hour urine samples. Surgical resection without using preoperative alpha blockage is the treatment of choice. The prognosis for patients with this tumor tends to be poor because the diagnosis is usually delayed due to lack of symptoms KCI Citation Count: 5