Objective:

To explore the CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of the paraganglioma of the urinary bladder in order to improve diagnosis accuracy.

Methods:

The clinical and radiologic data of 14 cases with pathologically proved parag

anglioma of the urinary bladder which were selected from the archives of Hospital of Traditional Medicine of Zhongshan and the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from Jul. 2002 to Oct. 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Pelvis CT scanning with contrast-enhancement were performed in 10 cases

pelvis MRI scanning with contrast-enhancement and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) were employed in 4 cases. The imaging features of these cases were retrospectively analyzed.

Results:

The 14 patients included 10 women and 4 men. All lesions were solitary

the maximum diameter ranged from 9 to 50 mm. All lesions appear as a mass within the urinary bladder wall

with intravesical or extravesical growth. The locations of the lesions were as follows: anterior wall (

n

=1)

posterior wall (

n

=1)

left wall (

n

=4)

right wall (

n

=4)

superior wall (

n

=1)

and inferior wall (

n

=3). Two of the 14 cases were malignant

with one case the tumor invaded the branch of ipsilateral internal iliac artery

and another case presented with metastases of left pelvic lymph nodes and lung at the twenty months after surgical resection of the tumor. Twelve of the 14 cases were functional paraganglioma

with a varying degree of elevation of a 24-hour urine vanillylmandelic acid (VMA). Among the 12 cases

nine cases typically present with paroxysmal hypertension precipitated by voiding

the other 3 cases present with hypertension. Two of the 14 cases were nonfunctional paraganglioma with no symptoms. Ten cases displayed homogeneous iso-intense density with no cystic degeneration

hemorrhage

or calcification occurs at nonenhanced CT. On contrast enhanced CTscan

two cases showed uniform obviously enhanced

and 8 cases demonstrated ununiform enhancement. At MRI imaging

all the 4 cases showed homogenous slightly hyperintense on T1WI

hyperintense on T2WI

and demonstrated obvious enhancement after the administration of contrast material injection. All 4 cases displayed u

niform or ununiform hyperintensity on DWI and hypo-intensity on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map.

Conclusion:

Paraganglioma of the urinary bladder has some specific imaging features

and diagnosis can make when combined with the clinic manifestation and laboratory test.