Regional metastatic paraganglioma of the bladder: a rare cause of myocardial infarction, reversible cardiomyopathy and an intracardiac thrombus

Abstract

Sympathetic paragangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumours that arise from chromaffin cells and secrete catecholamines. On rare occasions, patients with sympathetic paragangliomas can present with symptoms of congestive heart failure. The optimal treatment is surgical to remove all disease and thereby improve survival as well as restore cardiac function. We report a case of a patient with a regional metastatic bladder paraganglioma and a succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit B gene mutation presenting with cardiomyopathy who had significant improvement in his cardiac function with surgical resection despite further progression of metastatic disease. During his 4-year follow-up period, the patient remains free from heart-failure signs and symptoms.