Dysplastic ganglioneurocytoma with increased glucose metabolism: a heterotopia with unique histopathology

Clin Neuropathol. 2005 Nov-Dec;24(6):267-70.

Abstract

A 1 year and 7 month old boy was incidentally found to have an intracranial mass lesion at the frontal base. The mass was 45 x 54 x 47 mm in size, contained a calcification, a few small cysts, and extended downward to the sphenoid sinus and upper pharynx. The signal intensity of the lesion on magnetic resonance imaging was iso-high on T1-weighted images, and slightly high on T2-weighted images, and it did not enhance with gadolinium injection. Although there was no obvious mass effect, 18F-fluorode-oxyglucose positron-emission tomography demonstrated increased uptake, and a surgical resection was performed suspecting a neoplastic lesion. Histologically, the lesion consisted of small to large anomalous neurons and glial cells but lacked normal cortical architecture. Cellularity was high in some portion with MIB-1 labeling index of 2%, but there was no cellular atypia suggestive of neoplasm. Therefore, this lesion was considered to be a dysplasia that does not fit into the previously described entity. We suggest this lesion would be better described as dysplastic ganglioneurocytoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Ganglioneuroma / diagnostic imaging
  • Ganglioneuroma / metabolism*
  • Ganglioneuroma / pathology*
  • Glucose / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Neurocytoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Neurocytoma / metabolism*
  • Neurocytoma / pathology*
  • Ossification, Heterotopic / diagnostic imaging
  • Ossification, Heterotopic / metabolism
  • Ossification, Heterotopic / pathology
  • Radionuclide Imaging

Substances

  • Glucose