Paraganglioma of Bladder

Abstract

Paragangliomas represent an uncommon neoplasms of the urinary bladder (1). Their origin is uncertain but they are tought to arise from the paraganglionic tissue that can be found in the wall of the urinary bladder (2). Although the most common clinical presentation is hematuria, bladder paragangliomas may cause voiding-associated or voiding exacerbated symptoms of hypertension, headache, palpitations, blurred vision and/or sweating due to their hormonally active status. The tumors may arise at any age, occur more or less equally in both sexes and rarely may be associated with neurofibromatosis, multipl endocrine neoplasia type 2 and von Hippel-Lindau disease (3). Although most paragangliomas are sporadic, germline mutations in the succinate dehydrogenase family of genes encoding subunit A, B, C and D (SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, SDHD) of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex II are one of the genetic causes of hereditary cases (3).