Rare Middle Mediastinal Paraganglioma Mimicking Metastatic Neuroendocrine Tumor

Mediastinal paragangliomas are rare neural crest derived tumors that may produce symptoms of excess catecholamine production or mass effect. Paragangliomas can histologically mimic neuroendocrine tumors. Further, both can arise in similar locations. We report a patient who presented witha right upper lobe as well as middle mediastinal lesion. Preoperative biopsy as well as intraoperative frozen section of these lesions failed to distinguish between paraganlioma or neuroendocrine tumor, necessitating a right upper lobectomy and complete mediastinal lymphadenectomy. Final pathology revealed carcinoid tumorlets in the right upper lobe and a middle mediastinal paraganglioma. (C) 2015 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons