A Rare Case of a Middle Mediastinal Mass With Intense and Diffuse Contrast Enhancement.

Masses of the mediastinum have a wide differential diagnosis. Paragangliomas are rare neoplasms of neuroendocrine origin. These masses may be either parasympathetic or sympathetic in origin and have variable presentation. Paragangliomas may very rarely form in the mediastinum and make up a small fraction of masses originating in this location. We present a case of a previously healthy 49-year-old female who was incidentally found to have a middle mediastinal mass with intense and diffuse contrast enhancement on computerized tomography (CT) of the chest with contrast which was ultimately determined to be a paraganglioma. This case highlights the importance of consideration of paragangliomas in the differential diagnosis of a mediastinal mass as well as discusses the diagnosis and treatment of these rare tumors.