[Paraganglioma of the common right iliac artery. Case report and review of the literature].

UNLABELLED: Paraganglioma is a neoplasm derived from the neural crest of the neuroendocrine system. Head and neck account for its more frequent localizations. Parasympathetic paraganglioma have been encountered at cauda equina and iliac vessels. Its clinical course is unpredictable (mitosis, pleomorphism, and even vascular invasion), as various authors affirm that it apparently depends on quantity of protein S-100 contained as structural support. The present paper is a report of a patient who underwent an appendectomy. During abdominal surgery, surgeons discovered a retroperitoneal tumor located above iliac artery that included the characteristic Zellballen cellular arrangement. CASE REPORT: A 44-year-old male patient with abdominal pain diagnosed with acute appendicitis was surgically operated on at the ISSSTE General Hospital Darío Fernández Fierro in Mexico, City. During surgery, a retroperitoneal mass was found located above the common right iliac artery. It was completely resected. Microscopic study established characteristics of paraganglioma. Patient outcome was good. Scanning for other tumor sites was negative.