Retroperitoneal Chemodectoma

Chemodectoma of the orbit.

The histological and clinical features of a primary chemodectoma arising in the orbit are described. It is suggested that the tumour may have arisen from chemoreceptor tissue in the area of the lacrimal gland.

Chemodectoma of lung.

The histological and histochemical features of a primary chemodectoma of lung are described and compared with previously reported pulmonary chemodectomata. The tumour is of interest because, although there is physiological evidence that chemoreceptors are present in the lung, they have not yet been located anatomically.

Intrathoracic chemodectoma with multiple localisations.

In 1958 a mediastinal tumour was discovered in an asymptomatic woman with a history of vomiting and an oesophageal anomaly which had not been treated. A tumour of the anterosuperior mediastinum in relation to the aortic arch was extirpated and proved to be a chemodectoma or non-chromaffin paraganglioma. At subsequent follow-ups the mediastinum was never normal and the heart size progressively i...

Chemodectoma of the middle ear.

Intrathoracic chemodectoma with noradrenaline secretion.

Tumours arising in the chemoreceptor system are termed chemodectomas. Intrathoracic chemodectoma is a rare tumour, only 74 cases having been described by 1977.1 Systemic catecholamine secretion by an intrathoracic chemodectoma is very uncommon andwe have been able to trace only one other published case report of proven catecholamine secretion. We describe a second case and discuss briefly these...