Paraganglioma: A Difficult and Threatening Ordeal of Pregnancy

Author(s):

Vijaykumar S Gulwe, Kharche JM, Malu UR, Shirale SP, Sengupta S

Paraganglioma (PGL) in pregnancy is an extremely rare condition and its diagnosis is often difficult because the clinical symptoms can mimic those of preeclampsi gestational hypertension and gestational diabetes, here we report the case of a 24-year-old female primigravida with known case of hypothyroidism, presented with labile hypertension, resting tachycardia and hyperglycemia with protinuria at 27 week gestation. We suspected that she might have gestational diabetes along with hypertension and Catecholamine Secreting Tumor (CST) as her renal Doppler was suggestive of extra adrenal mass at left lumber region which confirmed on MRI abdomen pelvis and serum catecholamine levels were found to be significantly increased. She underwent laparoscopic mass removal and the pathology confirmed PGL. When typical paroxysmal hypertension and resting tachycardia is accompanied by headache, palpitation, and sweating during gestational period adrenal or extra adrenal tumor should be suspected.