Right Thoracoabdominal Approach for Retrocardiac Paraganglioma Resection

Paragangliomas are rare extra-adrenal tumors of sympathetic or parasympathetic paraganglia origin; of these, mediastinal paragangliomas are 2% of all cases. We present the case of a 21-year-old woman with uncontrolled arterial hypertension who had a functioning 6.5 × 6.2-cm retrocardiac paraganglioma firmly attached to the pericardium. The patient underwent tumor resection via a right thoracoabdominal incision; this surgical approach enabled adequate exposure for complete resection without institution of cardiopulmonary bypass or need for cardiac reconstruction or autotransplantation. Ten months postoperatively, the patient was doing well and was no longer hypertensive.