Paraganglioma in the spine: case report

Paragangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors that originate in specialized cells derived from neural crest cells, affecting the region of the carotid or jugular-tympanic artery. They are rare within the spinal canal and, when they occur, they are normally found in the extramedullary intradural compartment of the lumbosacral region. This report presents the case of a 26-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with pathological fracture of the thoracic spine (T10), secondary to paraganglioma, thus causing complete spinal cord injury. Surgical treatment was performed at the General Hospital of the State of Bahia and the complication of excessive bleeding occurred, which indicated that there had been a need for prior embolization. Because of this, the authors recommend caution when evaluating and treating this rare lesion that causes neurological deficits, with careful surgical planning in order to catastrophic complications.

Paraganglioma; Spinal Neoplasms; Spinal Cord Compression