Surgical Treatment of Pheochromocytoma and Retroperitoneal Paraganglioma

The location of PPGL varies greatly. Preoperative localization and diagnosis are particularly important. Not only the location of the tumor but also its size and its relationship with the surrounding anatomical structures should be understood. Some scholars reviewed 519 cases of PPGL and pointed out that 416 cases occurred in the adrenal gland. Most of common PPGL in other parts are located next to the abdominal aorta. The study concluded that PPGL was characterized by abundant blood supply and that most of them were located next to the renal artery, aorta, and vena cava with serious adhesions to surrounding tissues. At present, the commonly used imaging localization methods include CT, MRI, 131I-MIBG radionuclide imaging, PET-CT, and so on. Accurate preoperative localization has important clinical significance for tumor resectability assessment, treatment selection, and prognosis. In recent years, with the advancement of anatomical imaging examinations, especially with the application of 3D reconstruction and 3D printing technology, the adjoining relationship between the tumor and surrounding tissues, as well as the distribution of the arteries supplying the tumor, can be more clearly displayed. Scenarios provide important information as references.