Abdominal Tumors

Abstract

All the cases reported as nonchromaffin paragangliomas or chemodectomas of the retroperitoneum found on review of the literature are summarized in Table 21-1. Since the initial publication of Goodof and Lischer (1943), 43 cases have been so described on the basis of a histologic resemblance to the carotid body and a lack of chromaffinity. The problem of classification of these neoplasms is especially difficult, since anatomically nonchromaffin paraganglia are not recognized in the retroperitoneum of higher vertebrates; histologically, extra-adrenal sympathetic paraganglia and their tumors tend to mimic the Zellballen pattern of the carotid body (Symington, 1969; Abell et al., 1970; Glenner and Grimley, 1974); histochemically, chromaffinity has been repeatedly shown to be an unreliable basis for differentiation; and even ultrastructurally only subtle differences exist between sympathetic and parasympathetic paraganglionic tumors.