Original Articles
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 28, 2009; 15(24): 3003-3008
Published online Jun 28, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.3003
Clinicopathological analysis of paraganglioma with literature review
Ning Feng, Wen-Yan Zhang, Xiao-Ting Wu
Ning Feng, Xiao-Ting Wu, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Wen-Yan Zhang, Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Feng N performed research, analyzed data and wrote the paper; Wu XT designed the research and reviewed the manuscript; Zhang WY contributed the pathological data and reviewed the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Xiao-Ting Wu, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxue Road, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. med070735@yahoo.com
Telephone: +86-28-85436254
Fax: +86-28-85436254
Received: March 11, 2009
Revised: May 23, 2009
Accepted: May 30, 2009
Published online: June 28, 2009
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the 152 cases of paragangliomas resected over the past 32 years in West China Hospital clinicopathologically.

METHODS: All cases of paragangliomas diagnosed at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery and Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, China were reviewed. The pathological documents were supplied by the Department of Pathology, West China Hospital, and other necessary data were extracted from the hospital records. The statistical analyses were performed by survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier method), descriptive statistical analyses and χ2 analysis.

RESULTS: The neuroendocrine marker vimentin was found to be selectively expressed in the benign tumors, and there were significant differences in the expression of those markers in both benign and malignant tumors. The survival analysis revealed that survival correlated significantly with the malignancy, metastasis and nodal status.

CONCLUSION: Vimentin may be useful in the differential diagnosis between malignant and benign tumors. The difference in the expression of this marker in the tumors could be a clue to the future clinical diagnosis. The malignancy, metastasis and the nodal status may predict the prognosis of this disease.

Keywords: Paraganglioma; Retroperitoneal tumor; Carcinoma; Neuroendocrine tumors; Neuroendocrine peptide; Vimentin; Survival analysis