Ganglioneuroma : primary tumor or maturation of a suspected neuroblastoma?

Ganglioneuroma is a benign neurogenic tumor. These tumors are originating from neuroepithelium along sympathetic ganglia. Main localization is the mediastinum in children older than 10 years. An association with malignant neuroblastoma is rarely observed and it still remains a topic under current discussion. We describe the clinical course of a 17 year-old female patient with a large presacral mass causing amenorrhoea and weight loss. Eleven years before presentation, an incidental urine test showed an elevation of vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and homovanillic acid (HMA) and a neuroblastoma was suspected. However, further investigations showed no tumor and the test results turned out to be normal within 1 year. Now, a malignant neurogenic tumor was again suspected, but a CT-guided biopsy revealed a benign tumor. The mass was originating from the left sacral nerve roots. A tumor resection via a dorsal approach was performed. Final histology showed a differentiated ganglioneuroma. This is, to our knowledge, the first report describing a patient with elevated VMA/HMA and suspected neuroblastoma who developed a ganglioneuroma 11 years later. The association of ganglioneuroma and neuroblastoma and the abnormal urine tests pointing toward a neuroblastoma 11 years ago remains unclear and the possible answers are discussed in our report.