Ganglioneuroma

Ganglioneuroma
Key Facts
Terminology
  • Ganglioneuroma (GN)
  • Benign tumor of neural origin
Clinical Issues
  • Incidence
    • Tumor is more common in young patients
  • Location
    • More common in posterior mediastinum
  • Symptomatology
    • Chest pain
    • Horner syndrome
    • Shortness of breath
    • Neurofibromatosis
  • Treatment
    • Surgical resection
  • Prognosis
    • Good
  • Clinical features
    • Tumor is more common in younger patients
    • More common in posterior mediastinum
  • Shortness of breath
  • Symptoms
    • Shortness of breath
    • Chest pain
    • Horner syndrome
    • Neurofibromatosis
Top Differential Diagnoses
  • Schwannoma
  • Neurofibroma
  • Ganglioneuroblastoma
  • Solitary fibrous tumor
Ganglioneuroma shows a bland spindle cellular proliferation image with scattered larger cells image representing ganglion cells. Both components are essential for the diagnosis.
Higher power view of a mediastinal ganglioneuroma displays a spindle cell proliferation image admixed with numerous larger cells with prominent nucleoli (ganglion cells) image.
TERMINOLOGY
Abbreviations
  • Ganglioneuroma (GN)
Definitions
  • Benign tumor of neural origin
ETIOLOGY/PATHOGENESIS
Etiology
  • There is no definitive etiology for this neoplasm
CLINICAL ISSUES
Epidemiology
  • Incidence
    • Unusual tumors representing a small percentage of mediastinal tumors
  • Age
    • More common in younger patients
Site
  • GN is more common in posterior mediastinum
Presentation
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Horner syndrome
  • Neurofibromatosis
Treatment
  • Surgical approaches
    • Complete surgical resection
Prognosis
  • Good
MACROSCOPIC FEATURES
General Features
  • Well circumscribed and encapsulated
  • Firm, gray to yellowish
  • Cut surface shows whitish smooth or whorled appearance
  • Areas of necrosis and hemorrhage are generally absent
Size
  • Tumors vary in size from 1 cm to > 10 cm in greatest dimension
MICROSCOPIC PATHOLOGY
Histologic Features
  • Mature ganglion cells embedded in loose fibrocollagenous or subtle spindle cell stroma
  • Proliferation of Schwann cells, nerve fibers, and ganglion cells
  • Nissl granules may be seen in some cases in ganglion cells
Cytologic Features
  • Mature ganglion cells
DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
Schwannoma
  • Classically shows Antoni A and B areas while these would be unusual in GN
  • It would be unusual for Schwannoma to show numerous ganglion cells
Neurofibroma
  • Spindle cell component of neurofibroma is similar to that of GN
  • Neurofibromas lack the presence of ganglion cells
Ganglioneuroblastoma
  • Shows neuroblastomatous component, which is absent in GN
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Jul 9, 2016 | Posted by in PATHOLOGY & LABORATORY MEDICINE | Comments Off on Ganglioneuroma

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