Use of Fluorine-18-Labelled Deoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography with Computed Tomography to Localize a Paraganglioma in Pregnancy

Abstract

A nine-weeks pregnant, 27-year-old female was admitted for hypertension with a blood pressure of 213/110 mm Hg, headaches, palpitations, and anxiety. There was no previous history of hypertension or pre-eclampsia. She had elevated urinary normetanephrine, plasma-free normetanephrine, and plasma-free metanephrine concentrations. Phenoxybenzamine and labetalol were initiated for presumed pheochromocytoma. At thirteen weeks of pregnancy, a noncontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen failed to identify an adrenal or extra-adrenal mass. At 21-weeks gestation, an abdominal [18-F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography demonstrated an extra-adrenal lesion. The patient underwent a laparotomy during the second trimester with successful removal of a benign paraganglioma.

Systematic review of phaeochromocytoma in pregnancy

“…The remaining suitable reports contained 77 women with phaeochromocytoma during pregnancy, involving 78 fetuses. Data are summarized in Tables 1 and 2 , and are available in full as an electronic supplementary file ( Table S1 , supporting information)5, 11–70.…”

Paraganglioma Presenting as Postpartum Fever of Unknown Origin

“…The occurrence of paragangliomas in pregnancy is extremely rare and has been reported to be about 5 per million pregnancies in some studies to 18.5 per million live births in others [ 6 , 9 , 10 ]. Paragangliomas have been reported to occur at various sites during pregnancy including bladder and heart [ 11 , 12 ].…”

Radiation dose to the fetus from [18F]-FDG administration during the second trimester of pregnancy

“…The patient underwent a laparotomy with successful removal of a benign paraganglioma. A more detailed clinical history of this patient has been reported elsewhere (Koroscil et al 2010). …”