<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec id="j_raon-2021-0055_s_005">
<h3>Background</h3>
<p>Bladder paraganglioma (BPG) is a rare extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma with variable symptoms and easy to be misdiagnosed and mishandled. The aim of the study was to document the imaging features of BPG using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2021-0055_s_006">
<h3>Patients and methods</h3>
<p>We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients with pathology-proven BPG, who underwent CT or MRI examinations before surgery between October 2009 and October 2017. The clinical characteristics, CT, and MRI features of the patients were described and analysed.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2021-0055_s_007">
<h3>Results</h3>
<p>A total of 16 patients with 16 bladder tumours (median age 51 years, 9 females) were included. Among them, 13 patients underwent CT examinations and eight patients underwent MRI examinations preoperatively. Tumour diameters ranged from 1.6−5.4 cm. Most of the tumours grew into the bladder cavity (n = 11) with oval shapes (n = 10) and well-defined margins (n = 14). Intratumour cystic degeneration or necrosis (n = 2) was observed. Two lesions showed peripheral tissue invasion, suggesting malignant BPGs. All 13 lesions imaged with CT exhibited slight hypoattenuation and moderate to marked enhancement. Compared to the <italic>gluteus maximus</italic>, all lesions showed slight h yperintensity in T2-weighted images, hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted images (DWI), hypointensity on apparent diffusion coefficient maps, hyperintensity on T1-weighted images and a “fast in and slow out” enhanced pattern on contrast-enhanced MRI images.</p>
</sec>
<sec id="j_raon-2021-0055_s_008">
<h3>Conclusions</h3>
<p>BPGs are mostly oval-shaped, broadly-based and hypervascular bladder tumours with hypoattenuation on non-contrast CT, T2 hyperintensity, slight T1 hyperintensity compared to the muscle, marked restricted diffusion on DWI. Peripheral tissue invasion can suggest malignancy of the BPGs. All of these features contribute to preoperative decision-making.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Background
Bladder paraganglioma (BPG) is a rare extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma with variable symptoms and easy to be misdiagnosed and mishandled. The aim of the study was to document the imaging features of BPG using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).


Patients and methods
We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients with pathology-proven BPG, who underwent CT or MRI examinations before surgery between October 2009 and October 2017. The clinical characteristics, CT, and MRI features of the patients were described and analysed.


Results
A total of 16 patients with 16 bladder tumours (median age 51 years, 9 females) were included. Among them, 13 patients underwent CT examinations and eight patients underwent MRI examinations preoperatively. Tumour diameters ranged from 1.6−5.4 cm. Most of the tumours grew into the bladder cavity (n = 11) with oval shapes (n = 10) and well-defined margins (n = 14). Intratumour cystic degeneration or necrosis (n = 2) was observed. Two lesions showed peripheral tissue invasion, suggesting malignant BPGs. All 13 lesions imaged with CT exhibited slight hypoattenuation and moderate to marked enhancement. Compared to the gluteus maximus, all lesions showed slight h yperintensity in T2-weighted images, hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted images (DWI), hypointensity on apparent diffusion coefficient maps, hyperintensity on T1-weighted images and a “fast in and slow out” enhanced pattern on contrast-enhanced MRI images.


Conclusions
BPGs are mostly oval-shaped, broadly-based and hypervascular bladder tumours with hypoattenuation on non-contrast CT, T2 hyperintensity, slight T1 hyperintensity compared to the muscle, marked restricted diffusion on DWI. Peripheral tissue invasion can suggest malignancy of the BPGs. All of these features contribute to preoperative decision-making.

Bladder paraganglioma: CT and MR imaging characteristics in 16 patients

Radiology and Oncology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":"Bladder paraganglioma: CT and MR imaging characteristics in 16 patients"}

Background
Bladder paraganglioma (BPG) is a rare extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma with variable symptoms and easy to be misdiagnosed and mishandled. The aim of...

Bladder paraganglioma: CT and MR imaging characteristics in 16 patients

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Dec 30, 2021

Page range: 46 - 53

Received: Aug 03, 2021

Accepted: Nov 24, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/raon-2021-0055

© 2022 Jing Zhang, Xu Bai, Jing Yuan, Xiaojing Zhang, Wei Xu, Huiyi Ye, Haiyi Wang, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.