Korean J Med.
2005 Jan;68(1):111-115.
A Case Of Adrenal Ganglioneuroma Secreting Catecholamines
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. drkang@chonnam.ac.kr
- 2Department of Pathology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
Abstract
- Ganglioneuromas is a rare benign neoplasm that originates from the sympathetic ganglia and the adrenal medulla. It belongs to the group of neurogenic tumors, which also include ganglioneuroblastoma and neuroblastoma. Most of them are asymptomatic and diagnosed by chance, rarely because of their hormonal activity or metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake. We here report a case of adrenal ganglioneuroma secreting catecholamine. A 22-year old male presented with incidentally detected calcifications in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. Abdominal CT and MRI revealed an about 8-cm adrenal mass with eggshell and punctuate calcifications. Increased urinary catecholamine metabolites and MIBG uptake in the tumor leaded to the preoperative diagnosis of adrenal pheochromocytoma. His blood pressure was normal and the typical symptoms of catecholamine excess were not observed during the admission period. Surgical resection and histologic examination of the tumor confirmed the diagnosis of ganglioneuroma originating from the left adrenal gland. Characteristic radiologic and histologic findings are presented with review of the literature.
