Paravertebral lipomatous ganglioneuroma with intraspinal extension. Case report and literature review

Abstract

Lipomatous ganglioneuromas are a rare variant of ganglioneuromas characterized by a mature adipocytic component admixed with a conventional ganglioneuroma component. We present the case of a 34 year old patient with a paravertebral right lesion L1-L4 with intraspinal extension and secondary neurological deficit, who underwent surgery in our hospital. The pathological anatomy showed a yellowish encapsulated neoplasm, which under microscopic evaluation showed areas of ganglioneuroma admixed with areas of mature fat. In the follow up, the patient was asymptomatic, had recovered paresis in the right lower extremity and in the last image control did not present data of lesion recurrence. Fewer than 10 cases of lipomatous ganglioneuromas have been reported in the literature, being this the first paravertebral case wih intraspinal extension and with neurological deficit, hence the interest of this work.

Keywords: Columna lumbar; Ganglioneuroma; Imágenes de resonancia magnética; Lumbar spine; Magnetic resonance imaging; Retroperitoneo; Retroperitoneum; Spinal tumor; Tumor espinal.