18F-FDOPA PET/CT of Nonfunctioning Paraganglioma of the Gastroepiploic Pedicle

ABSTRACTWe report the case of a 54-year-old woman with a nonfunctioning paraganglioma arising from the gastroepiploic pedicle demonstrated by F-FDOPA PET/CT. Because gastroepiploic arcade can be assimilated to the gastric mesentery, this tumor has been classified as a mesenteric paraganglioma (PGL). Neural crest cells are a multipotent population of cells characterized by effective migratory properties potentially explaining PGL atypical localization as in the mesentery. Mesenteric PGLs are often nonfunctioning and can mimic gastric, colic, or pancreatic primary tumor because of their anatomical boundaries, making more difficult the diagnosis on preoperative imaging.