Intraparotid Ganglioneuroma: A rare case report

Abstract

Introduction: Ganglioneuromas (GNs) are slow-growing, benign tumors arising from Schwann cells, gangliocytes, and neuronal tissues. Case Presentation: We report a rare intraparotid ganglioneuroma in a 42-year-old female presented with a parotid mass. The onset of the lesion dated back to 2021, but the growth was remarkable only in November 2022. The FNA suggested a plexiform neurofibroma. The post-surgical microscopic examination of the excised lesion revealed neoplastic large, rounded cells with abundant, finely granular eosinophilic cytoplasm and a large, eccentric nucleus with a prominent nucleolus as well as fasciculated, with an elongated cytoplasm with fine fibrillar extensions. No mitosis or tumor necrosis was observed. The periphery of the tumor showed perineural entrapment. The immunohistochemical staining for S100 protein, synaptophysin, and chromogranin A were positive. However, the neoplastic cells showed no immunoreactivity for cytokeratin (CK5/6, CK7, AE1/AE3), epithelial membrane antigen, HMB45, Melan A, CD30, CD117 and p40. The case was signed out as mature intraparotid ganglioneuroma. Conclusion: The treatment of choice was surgical resection without adjuvant radiotherapy. No recurrence or post-surgical complications were hitherto reported. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of intraparotid ganglioneuroma. Caution should be taken not to diagnose this benign neoplasm as a metastasis (e.g. metastatic neuroblastoma) or to request unnecessary overtreatment (e.g., postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy).

Keywords: Ganglioneuroma; Neural entrapment; Neuroblastic tumors; Parotis.

Fig. 1

(a) Two intermingled cell populations with variably trabecular or pseudoglandular architecture (H&E, panoramic view); (b) Fasciculated cells, with an elongated cytoplasm and fine fibrillar extensions (H&E, 20×); (c) Areas of collision between the two neuronal components (H&E, 10×); (d) Conspicuous granularity in ganglion cells (H&E, 20×)