Dacarbazine – downsizing a malignant paraganlioma allows 25 year survival

Paragangliomas are tumors of the extra-adrenal paraganglion system which arise from neurosecretory cells and have been reported in diverse locations like the head and neck region and the retroperitoneal cavity. The rare non-functional retroperitoneal paraganglioma are usually asymptomatic and can attain big dimensions.

We report herein a well-documented case of a 60-year-old man who was diagnosed a non-functional paraaortal paraganglioma at the age of 34. The patient underwent complete excision but a repeated recurrence of the tumor and a liver metastasis were viewed. After downsizing the paraganglioma by means of dacarbazine a total surgical resection of the retroperitoneal tumor had been performed. There was a remission of the metastasis and total regression of symptoms as the patient maintains since 2000 within a good overall condition without need of furthermore therapy.