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Case Reports
. 2018 Dec;56(4):237-240.
doi: 10.5152/tao.2018.3690. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

Cervical Ganglioneuroma in Pediatric Age: A Case Report

Antonio F Lima  1 , Filipa C Moreira  1 , Ana Menezes  1 , Luís Dias  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Cervical Ganglioneuroma in Pediatric Age: A Case Report

Antonio F Lima et al. Turk Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2018 Dec.

Abstract

Ganglioneuroma is a rare, benign, non-invasive tumor emerging from the sympathetic system. Of these tumors, only 8% occur in the neck. In this report, we present a case of a 13-year-old girl with a 2-year history of enlarging neck mass. Her only complaint, aside from neck swelling, was dysphagia. Physical and radiological examinations revealed a large mass centered in the right carotid space. A transcervical approach was used to excise the tumor emerging from the sympathetic ganglia. The patient developed temporary Horner's syndrome postoperatively. In a few weeks, she was completely asymptomatic. Histological examination was compatible with ganglioneuroma. Surgical excision is the only definite treatment of cervical ganglioneuroma and is also the only way to confirm the diagnosis. Injury during surgery may result in significant morbidity.

Keywords: Ganglioneuroma; benign cervical masses; neuroblastoma; neurogenic neck tumors; pediatric neck tumors.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
MRI (T2) coronal section shows a mass of 35×60 mm centered in the right carotid space, extending to the skull base *tumor, #: pharynx
Figure 2
Figure 2
MRI (T2) axial section shows a mass of 35×60 mm centered in the right carotid space, extending to the skull base *tumor, +: internal jugular vein,→: carotid artery, #: pharynx
Figure 3
Figure 3
A well-circumscribed mass which emerged from the sympathetic chain
Figure 4
Figure 4
Surgical specimen
Figure 5
Figure 5
Microscopic examination revealed ganglioneuroma, namely clusters of mature ganglion cells and intersecting bundles of spindle cells (H&E, X100)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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