title: Asymptomatic paraganglioma of the posterior mediastinum misdiagnosed until operation.
abstract: A 23-year-old female patient was treated for a posterior mediastinal tumor of unknown histology. Her systemic blood pressure increased rapidly to a critical level immediately after starting surgical manipulation of the tumor, which was suggestive of a hyperfunctioning pheochromocytoma. The tumor was removed after controlling the blood pressure and was histologically diagnosed as an extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma. Further postoperative investigations showed the tumor to be a sporadic type through further postoperative investigations and the patient had subsequently an uneventful course.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, West-China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mei
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Che
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D010236:Paraganglioma, Extra-Adrenal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents