A Case of Mistaken Identity

Paragangliomas are rare tumors of the autonomic nervous system, which may origin from virtually any part of the body containing embryonic neural crest tissue. A 60 year-old old female, with a history of resistant hypertension and constitutional symptoms, was hospitalized for acute renal failure. In the investigation, a CT scan revealed a 63x54mm hepatic nodule in the caudate lobe. Intraoperatively, the tumor was closely attached to segment 1, but not depending directly on the hepatic parenchyma or any other adjacent structure, and it was resected. Histology reported a paraganglioma. Postoperative period was uneventful. A potentially functional PG was mistaken for an incidentaloma, due to its location, interrelated illnesses and unspecific symptoms. PG may mimic primary liver tumors and therefore should be a differential diagnosis for tumors in this location.