Adrenal Ganglioneuroma: A Rare Tumor of the Autonomic Nervous System

Abstract

Ganglioneuromas (GNs) are benign, differentiated tumors that are derived from neural crest sympathogonia. They can be found anywhere in the body along autonomic ganglia. These tumors are seen most often in individuals over 10 years of age and are usually asymptomatic. However, GNs can grow large and cause symptoms due to mass effect. GNs are rarely located within the suprarenal gland and are benign tumors that are often diagnosed late in their course due to mass effect or found incidentally on imaging studies. We describe a case of a 22-year-old female who presented to clinic with vague abdominal pain. She underwent an extensive workup which ultimately revealed a rare presentation of a left suprarenal GN that required surgical removal. She underwent an extensive workup which ultimately revealed a left suprarenal GN that required surgical removal. The patient underwent laparotomy and surgical excision of the mass and made a full recovery.

Keywords: ganglioneuroma; surgery.

Figure 1. CT abdomen/pelvis sagittal view.

The yellow arrow demonstrates a large suprarenal mass causing displacement of adjacent structures.

Figure 2. CT abdomen/pelvis axial view.

The yellow arrow demonstrates a large mass causing displacement of adjacent structures.