RESIDENT CASE STUDIES

Week 4 May 12 - May 16, 2003: Case 1   

Table of Contents | List of Diagnoses | Case 1 | Case 2 | Case 3 | Case 4 

5 year old female with a neck mass 

Discussion:
The diagnosis for the above case is Ganglioneuroblastoma. It is the maturing type of neuroblastoma in which a portion of tumor has the appearance of a neuroblastoma (with neuroblasts) and a portion (>50%) has matured components (ganglions with abundant schwanniam cells). Typically the neuroblasts are scattered among the matured and maturing cells (ganglion and schwann cells). Schwannian / neuropil stroma may be abundant. The prognosis is a lot better than for undifferentiated / poorly differentiated neuroblastomas. It is important to identify the nodular type of ganglioneuroblastoma, because it has a worse prognosis then usual ganglioneuroblastoma. The nodular type is based on the gross finding of a distinct nodule.  

References:

1. Verbal communication – Dr Kristen A. Atkins

2. Diagnostic surgical pathology / editor, Stephen S. Stenberg – 3^rd edition.

3. Weiss, Sharon W. Enzinger and Weiss’s soft tissue tumors / Sharon W. Weiss, John R. Goldblum – 4^th edition.