Gallbladder Cancer Concomitant With Para‐Aortic Paraganglioma: A Case Report

Gallbladder cancer often presents a poor prognosis and can cause skip metastasis to the para‐aortic lymph nodes. Accurate diagnosis is essential for appropriate treatment. We present the case of an 86‐year‐old male patient with gallbladder cancer initially suspected to have para‐aortic lymph node metastasis. Intraoperative pathology of a para‐aortic mass revealed that it was a paraganglioma (PGL); both tumors were successfully resected. The patient was discharged on the ninth postoperative day without complications and remained recurrence‐free for 18 months. The final diagnosis was gallbladder adenocarcinoma (pT1a(M)pN0pM0, pStage I) and para‐aortic PGL. Differentiating para‐aortic masses in gallbladder cancer is crucial. Preoperative evaluations, including positron emission tomography‐computed tomography and endoscopic ultrasound‐fine needle biopsy, can enhance diagnostic accuracy. This case underscores the importance of considering PGL as a differential diagnosis of a para‐aortic mass and the value of intraoperative pathology in guiding appropriate surgical interventions.