PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Kharroubi, Hussein
AU  - Sawma, Tedy
AU  - Sfeir, Pierre
AU  - Khalife, Mohammad
TI  - Paraganglioma arising from the liver and abutting the heart
AID  - 10.1136/bcr-2022-253847
DP  - 2023 Mar 01
TA  - BMJ Case Reports
PG  - e253847
VI  - 16
IP  - 3
4099  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/16/3/e253847.short
4100  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/16/3/e253847.full
SO  - BMJ Case Reports2023 Mar 01; 16
AB  - A paraganglioma is a rare extra-adrenal neuroendocrine tumour with a variable clinical presentation. A paraganglioma can arise anywhere along the sympathetic and parasympathetic chains, but it can occasionally emerge from unusual locations such as the liver and the thoracic cavity. We report a rare case of a woman in her 30s who presented to our emergency department with symptoms of chest discomfort, episodic hypertension, tachycardia and diaphoresis. A diagnostic approach including a chest X-ray, an MRI and a positron emission tomography–CT scan showed a large exophytic liver mass protruding into the thoracic cavity. For further characterisation of the mass, a biopsy of the lesion was performed, demonstrating that the tumour is of neuroendocrine origin. This was supported by a urine metanephrine test showing high levels of catecholamine breakdown products. Treatment consisted of a unique multidisciplinary approach involving hepatobiliary and cardiothoracic surgery allowing a safe and complete extermination of the hepatic tumour and its cardiac extension.