MON-907 Silent Presentation of Urinary Bladder Paraganglioma: A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Paraganglioma is a rare extraadrenal, neuroendocrine tumor of the sympathetic or parasympathetic ganglia (1). Bladder paraganglioma accounts for 1% of all paragangliomas and 0.05% of all bladder tumors (1,2). Characteristic presentation of this tumor includes hypertensive crisis and postmicturition syncope (3). Clinical Case: 35 year old Middle Eastern man with no pertinent past medical history presented with gross hematuria associated with dysuria, purulent penile discharge, urinary frequency, suprapubic pain, and bilateral flank pain for eight months for which he was given a course of an unknown antibiotic in his home country. Social history revealed smoking half a pack of cigarettes/day for 7 years. Has no family history of cancer. On physical exam he had normal blood pressure with mild tenderness to palpation in suprapubic region. U/A was remarkable for hematuria. Patient was treated for UTI with a course ciprofloxacin without resolution of symptoms. Culture returned negative.CT abdomen/pelvis yielded an approximately 1.9 cm enhancing mural nodule involving the anterior aspect of the bladder. Free metanephrine, nor-metanephrine, plasma catecholamine, and urine vanillylmandelic acid were within normal limits. Cystoscopy and transurethral resection of the tumor (TURBT) was completed; a 5-6mm tumor was visualized and resected. Surgical pathology demonstrated tumor growth into the lamina propria and muscularis propria. Neoplastic cells in the sample were diffusely positive for synaptophysin and chromogranin. S100 protein immunostain highlighted sustentacular cells. The diagnosis of paraganglioma was made based on surgical pathology. Post TURP MRI yielded an approximately 1.7 x 0.9 cm transmural hypervascular enhancing mass lesion involving the anterior aspect of the bladder. Given transmural extension of the tumor, an open partial cystectomy was performed. The tumor was resected successfully with resolution of symptoms. Conclusion: This is an exceedingly rare example of a hormonally silent paraganglioma, mimicking the presentation of a UTI. This case may present the unique consideration of tobacco specific carcinogens as a potential risk factor for the development of bladder paraganglioma.