CT Features of Extra-adrenal Ganglioneuroma:Comparison with Pathological Findings / 中国医学影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Purpose To explore the CT features of extra-adrenal ganglioneuroma (GN), and to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the disease. Materials and Methods CT features of 13 patients with extra-adrenal GN confirmed by surgical pathology were retrospectively analyzed, and compared with pathological findings. Results Two of 13 lesions were located in neck, four in posterior mediastinum, four in retroperitoneal space, two in front of sacrum, one in the region of renal hilus. All these masses were well defined, two appeared as round, three as oval, 8 as irregular shape. Of eight cases with irregular shape, six lesions presented a tendency of wedging into the space encasing and lapsing the vessel, with no evidence of invasion of the surrounding organs or vessels. Two tumors grew along the vertebrae and invaded intervertebral foramen. On plain CT imagings, the attenuations of the tumors were less than that of muscle, the masses with homogeneous and nonhomogeneous density were found in four and nine cases, respectively. Two patients associated with scattered and patchy cafilication. After contrast administration, eight lesions showed inhomogeneous enhancementslight enhancement were seen in the arterial phase and gradually more strong enhancement during the portal venous and delayed phase. Enhancing lines or patchy were observed inside these tumors. Pathologically, the tumors appeared on a large amount mucus background, a few of scattering or nesting ganglion cells were distributed in many mature spindle cells, which lined in weave or fasciculation. Conclusion CT manifestations of extra-adrenal GN have certain characteristics, which are correlated closely with pathological features, therefore is helpful for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis.