# Malignant paraganglioma of the kidney: a rare surgical case with 3-year disease-free survival

## TL;DR

A 36-year-old woman with a rare kidney tumor underwent surgery and remained cancer-free for three years without additional treatment.

## Contribution

This case highlights successful surgical management of a rare malignant kidney paraganglioma without adjuvant therapy.

## Key findings

- A 14 cm renal mass was surgically removed and confirmed as a malignant paraganglioma.
- No recurrence was observed after 3 years of follow-up with PET-CT.
- The case suggests surgery alone may be sufficient for select localized malignant paragangliomas.

## Abstract

A 36-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain and a left renal mass on imaging. Laboratory findings showed anemia (Hb 88 g/l), leukocytosis (12.31 × 109/l), and pyuria. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a 14 cm left renal cystic-solid mass suspicious for malignancy. Radical nephrectomy was performed, retrieving a 2600 g tumor. Histopathology demonstrated malignant paraganglioma with expansive growth confined to renal parenchyma. No adjuvant therapy was administered. At 3-year follow-up, surveillance positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) confirmed no recurrence or metastasis. Renal paragangliomas represent <1% of such tumors, with malignant variants posing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This case underscores surgical resection as definitive management for localized disease and suggests favorable outcomes are achievable without adjuvant treatment in select malignant cases. Long-term surveillance remains critical.