Primary Retroperitoneal Ganglioneuroma: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 32 Patients

Rare Adrenal Tumors and Adrenal Metastasis

This article covers rare adrenal tumors including functional adenomas, myelolipomas, ganglioneuromas and neuroblastomas, and metastasis to the adrenal gland. It explores their clinical presentation and behavior, hormonal activity, imaging features, other diagnostic considerations, and approaches to management. The variety of rare tumors and their unique behaviors covered in this article underscores the need to maintain up-to-date knowledge and surgical skills, as well as the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care.

Retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma simulating lymphoma: An unusual case presentation

Ganglioneuromas of the retroperitoneum are rare cases of benign retroperitoneal tumors that arise from autonomic nerve fibers. Typically remaining asymptomatic even after growing very large, retroperitoneal ganglioneuromas are often discovered incidentally. Given the rather nonspecific, well-defined, smooth, or lobulated characteristics similar to most neurogenic tumors, retroperitoneal ganglioneuromas are sometimes difficult to diagnose. Surgical resection is the preferred treatment option intended to limit the chance of recurrence or malignant transformation; however, surgery can be restricted by local extension, such as encasement of blood vessels. In this article, we report the case of a 49-year-old female diagnosed with a retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma presenting as abdominal pain and fullness. We focus on the use of radiological imaging modalities to coordinate with surgical pathology for an optimized diagnosis and treatment plan.

Analysis of Benign Retroperitoneal Schwannomas: A Single-center Experience

BACKGROUND

 Retroperitoneal schwannomas are rare. The purpose of this study was to present our experience with the diagnosis and treatment of 67 such tumors.

METHODS

 We retrospectively analyzed 67 patients with retroperitoneal schwannoma admitted to the Peking University International Hospital from 2015 to 2021.

RESULTS

 Thirty-seven of the 67 patients had no obvious clinical symptoms. Complete excision was obtained in 62 and subtotal excision in 5 cases. In7 cases, tumor resection was combined with organ resection. The intraoperative blood loss was 300 ml (20-9,000 ml), the maximum size of the tumor was 9 cm (2.5-26 cm), and postoperative complication occurred in six cases (9.0%). Compared with abdominal retroperitoneal tumors, pelvic retroperitoneal tumors had larger tumor volume, more bleeding, higher proportion of block resection, and longer postoperative hospitalization time (p < 0.05). The residual mass progressed slowly in five patients with subtotal resection, and no obvious malignant transformation occurred.

CONCLUSION

 Complete resection of a retroperitoneal schwannoma can achieve a good long-term prognosis. Residual tumor after surgery progresses slowly and rarely become malignant. We recommend early resection after the discovery of a pelvic retroperitoneal schwannoma.

A Single-Institution Analysis of Surveillance Practice for Low-Risk Neuroblastic Tumors

INTRODUCTION

Currently, few prospective guidelines exist for the surveillance of children with low-risk neuroblastic tumors (LRNBTs), including ganglioneuroma or ganglioneuroblastoma intermixed. This study aims to describe our institutional approach to LRNBT surveillance following surgical resection or nonoperative management. We hypothesize that length of surveillance can be reduced due to low recurrence risk.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with LRNBT at our institution between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2022. The majority of patients were followed in our multidisciplinary surgical oncology clinic. We summarized relevant patient data including follow-up imaging modalities and recurrences.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight patients met the inclusion criteria at a median age of diagnosis of 9 ys (interquartile range [IQR]: 5, 12.75). Thirty-seven patients underwent surgical resection, with tumors located in the posterior mediastinum (n = 18), retroperitoneum (n = 14), presacral space (n = 3), pelvis (n = 1), or combined thoracic or retroperitoneal location (n = 1). One patient underwent nonoperative management for a tumor located in the retroperitoneum. Histopathological results demonstrated 18 cases of ganglioneuroma and 20 cases of ganglioneuroblastoma intermixed. The median duration of postoperative follow-up was 27 mos (IQR: 14, 51) and the median clinical visits per year was 2.6 [IQR: 1.5, 3.4). Surveillance imaging was performed at a median frequency of 2.4 times per year (IQR: 1.6, 3.1). Chest radiographs were the most common modality used for thoracic locations (34% of all imaging) and ultrasound was used most commonly for abdominal location (24% of all imaging). During surveillance, one recurrent or residual ganglioneuroma was identified on magnetic resonance imaging at 6.7 mos from presacral resection. This patient underwent repeat surgical resection, and subsequent surveillance demonstrated no further recurrences.

CONCLUSIONS

Recurrence was low in this cohort of LRNBT patients. Optimal surveillance strategies for this low-risk pathology would minimize radiation exposure and burden of health-care visits to patients. Further multi-institutional studies are warranted to determine the best imaging modality, as well as the frequency and duration of follow-up visits for LRNBT patients. Future studies should evaluate the acceptability of short-term surveillance for those who achieve complete resection.

Comprehensive neurosurgical and visceral surgical therapy of retroperitoneal nerve tumors: a descriptive and retrospective analysis

Nerve tumors in the retroperitoneal space are a rarity. Radical surgery according to soft tissue tumors can lead to persistent pain and neurological deficits. This study aims to evaluate clinical outcomes of patients treated by a visceral- / neurosurgical approach. 33 patients with a retroperitoneal nerve tumor underwent surgery between 01/2002 and 12/2022 at our department. A visceral surgeon provided access to the retroperitoneal space, followed by micro-neurosurgical tumor preparation under neuromonitoring. Clinical examination and MRI were performed 12 weeks after surgery and further 3 months (WHO grade > 1) or 12 months (WHO grade 1). Further examinations were based on MRI findings and residual symptoms with median follow-up time of 24 months. One patient was treated for two distinct masses resulting in a total of 34 histological findings. Schwannomas (n = 15; 44.1%) and neurofibromas (n = 10; 29.4%) were the most common tumors. Long-term improvements were noted in radicular pain (15/18 patients; 83.3%), motor deficits (7/16 patients; 43.8%), abdominal discomfort and pain (5/7 patients; 71.4%). Recurrences were observed in 3/33 (9,1%) patients. This study represents the largest series of retroperitoneal BPNSTs treated with microsurgical techniques. Prospective multicenter studies are warranted to establish standardized treatment guidelines.

Retroperitoneal Peripancreatic Ganglioneuroma Encasing the Celiac Trunk and Superior Mesenteric Artery

A retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma is an exceptionally rare surgical entity, even more so in pancreaticoduodenal tumors. These well-differentiated neuroepithelial tumors originate in the neural crest, emerge in the sympathetic nervous system, and consist of ganglion cells and stromal Schwann cells. Generally, these tumors, despite being mostly benign, may be associated with venous or arterial vascular involvement. The symptomatology presented will depend on the mass effect due to tumor growth, and surgical excision is the only therapeutic option offered today to these patients. However, encapsulation of the main vessels represents a great surgical complexity. Various surgical approaches have been employed throughout history; however, the current preferred method is an open midline laparotomy, involving an extensive Kocher maneuver and an artery-first approach, aiming for an R0 resection of the tumor with total vascular preservation to the greatest extent possible. We present a case of an R2 resection involving a 95 mm x 85 mm retroperitoneal peripancreatic ganglioneuroma with double vascular involvement (celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery). The procedure utilized an artery-first approach with total vascular preservation in a 17-year-old woman who had long-standing gastrointestinal symptoms due to the mass effect.

Preoperative differentiation of mediastinum and retroperitoneum ganglioneuroma from schwannoma with clinical data and enhanced CT: developing a multivariable prediction model

AIM

To develop a multivariable prediction model for preoperative differentiation of ganglioneuroma (GN) from schwannoma in mediastinum and retroperitoneum based on clinical data and enhanced computed tomography (CT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective diagnostic study. Patients diagnosed with mediastinum or retroperitoneal GN or schwannoma at Zhongshan Hospital between July 2006 and March 2022 were divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort at a ratio of 7:3. Clinical information and CT features were collected. Histopathology was the reference standard for diagnosis. The model was developed using binary logistic regression. The predictive performance of the model was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA).

RESULTS

A total of 105 patients (47 men and 58 women; mean age of 41 ± 15 years) were enrolled. There were significant differences in symptoms (p=0.006), location (p=0.008), ratio of the craniocaudal diameter (CC) to the major axis on axial images (CC/M; p=0.025), ratio of the CC to the diameter on axial images (CC/D; p<0.001), density homogeneity (p=0.001), enhancement homogeneity (p<0.001), enhancement degree (p<0.001), venous phase CT attenuation value (V; p=0.011), and blood vessels changes (p=0.045) between GN and schwannoma. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) and accuracy in the validation cohort were 0.841 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.672, 1.000) and 0.839 (95% CI: 0.674, 0.929), respectively. Calibration curves and DCA showed that the model was beneficial for patients.

CONCLUSION

The multivariable prediction model exhibited good predictive performance and may facilitate preoperative planning.

Overreliance on Radiological Findings Leading to Misdiagnosed Giant Retroperitoneal Ganglioneuroma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Ganglioneuroma is a rare, benign, well-differentiated neurogenic tumor most commonly located in the posterior mediastinum or retroperitoneum. Giant ganglioneuromas are even less common; this is only the 19th reported case in literature to date. We present a case of a giant retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma in a five-year-old child, which on imaging mimicked a mesenteric cyst and posed various challenges in its management. Histopathology later confirmed our misdiagnosis and revealed the tumor to be a ganglioneuroma. This unique case serves as a lesson for clinicians to not operate before receiving histopathological confirmation of their diagnosis.

Imaging of Ganglioneuroma: A Literature Review and a Rare Case of Cystic Presentation in an Adolescent Girl

Retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma is a rare neuroectodermal tumor with a benign nature. We performed a literature review among 338 studies. We included 9 studies, whose patients underwent CT and/or MRI to characterize a retroperitoneal mass, which was confirmed to be a ganglioneuroma by histologic exam. The most common features of ganglioneuroma are considered to be a solid nature, oval/lobulated shape, and regular margins. The ganglioneuroma shows a progressive late enhancement on CT. On MRI it appears as a hypointense mass in T1W images and with a heterogeneous high-intensity in T2W. The MRI-"whorled sign" is described in the reviewed studies in about 80% of patients. The MRI characterization of a primitive retroperitoneal cystic mass should not exclude a cystic evolution from solid masses, and in the case of paravertebral location, the differential diagnosis algorithm should include the hypothesis of ganglioneuroma. In our case, the MRI features could have oriented towards a neurogenic nature, however, the predominantly cystic-fluid aspect and the considerable longitudinal non-invasive extension between retroperitoneal structures, misled us to a lymphatic malformation. In the literature, it is reported that the cystic presentation can be due to a degeneration of a well-known solid form while maintaining a benign character: the distinguishing malignity character is the revelation of immature cells on histological examination.

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of adrenal ganglioneuroma: a retrospective cohort study of 51 patients in a single center

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the clinical features, imaging findings, and surgical results of 51 cases of adrenal ganglioneuroma (AGN) in our center to provide a clinical reference for its diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 51 AGN patients admitted to our hospital. We summarized the clinical and imaging characteristics and analyzed the effects of different surgical methods and tumor size on the perioperative outcome.

RESULTS

The mean tumor size was 6.1±2.4 cm. The mean computerized tomography (CT) value of tumors on the plain scan images was 29.9±4.3 Hounsfield units (HU), and 60.8% (20/45) of tumors showed delayed progressive enhancement on enhanced CT images. Pathologically, immunohistochemistry revealed a positive rate of 91.7% for S-100 (11/12) and 77.8% (7/9) for Vimentin. Of the 51 patients, 32 underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy, and 19 underwent open adrenalectomy. The median postoperative follow-up time was 51.1 (2-125) months, and no tumor recurrence or metastasis occurred during the follow-up. The estimated blood loss (EBL) was reduced in the laparoscopic group compared to the open group (P=0.027). Larger tumors prolonged the operation time and postoperative hospital stay (both P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study reports the largest series of AGN patients to date. CT plays a guiding role in the preoperative diagnosis of AGN, but the pathologic results are the most reliable. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy may be safer than open surgery. Larger tumor volume is a risk factor for a longer operative time and postoperative hospital stay.

The Role of CT in the Staging and Follow-Up of Testicular Tumors: Baseline, Recurrence and Pitfalls

Ultrasound imaging of the testis represents the standard-of-care initial imaging for the diagnosis of TGCT, whereas computed tomography (CT) plays an integral role in the initial accurate disease staging (organ-confined, regional lymph nodes, or sites of distant metastases), in monitoring the response to therapy in patients who initially present with non-confined disease, in planning surgical approaches for residual masses, in conducting follow-up surveillance and in determining the extent of recurrence in patients who relapse after treatment completion. CT imaging has also an important place in diagnosing complications of treatments. The aims of this article are to review these different roles of CT in primary TGCT and focus on different pitfalls that radiologists need to be aware of.

Clinical outcomes following resection of paraspinal ganglioneuromas: a case series of 15 patients

OBJECTIVE

Paraspinal ganglioneuromas are rare tumors that arise from neural crest tissue and can cause morbidity via compression of adjacent organs and neurovascular structures. The authors investigated a case series of these tumors treated at their institution to determine clinical outcomes following resection.

METHODS

A retrospective review of a prospectively collected cohort of consecutive, pathology-confirmed, surgically treated paraspinal ganglioneuromas from 2001 to 2019 was performed at a tertiary cancer center.

RESULTS

Fifteen cases of paraspinal ganglioneuroma were identified: 47% were female and the median age at the time of surgery was 30 years (range 10-67 years). Resected tumors included 9 thoracic, 1 lumbar, and 5 sacral, with an average maximum tumor dimension of 6.8 cm (range 1-13.5 cm). Two patients had treated neuroblastomas that matured into ganglioneuromas. One patient had a secretory tumor causing systemic symptoms. Surgical approaches were anterior (n = 11), posterior (n = 2), or combined (n = 2). Seven (47%) and 5 (33%) patients underwent gross-total resection (GTR) or subtotal resection with minimal residual tumor, respectively. The complication rate was 20%, with no permanent neurological deficits or deaths. No patient had evidence of tumor recurrence or progression after a median follow-up of 68 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical approaches and extent of resection for paraspinal ganglioneuromas must be heavily weighed against the advantages of aggressive debulking and decompression given the complication risk of these procedures. GTR can be curative, but even patients without complete tumor removal can show evidence of excellent long-term local control and clinical outcomes.