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Rare disease
CASE REPORT
Massive thoracic ganglioneuroma with significant mass effect on left hemithorax
  1. Jacob T Lambdin1,
  2. Kyongjune B Lee2,
  3. Gregory Trachiotis3,
  4. Carlose Picone4
  1. 1School of Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
  2. 2Department of General Surgery, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
  3. 3Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, George Washington University Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
  4. 4Pulmonary Medicine, Chevy Chase Pulmonary Associates, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
  1. Correspondence to Gregory Trachiotis, gtrachiotis{at}mfa.gwu.edu

Summary

A 42-year-old, otherwise healthy, woman presented with persistent left-sided chest pain. A chest X-ray revealed a large opacity in the left hemithorax which prompted further investigation with an MRI. MRI revealed a large left apical mass occupying approximately two-thirds of the left hemithorax. The mass was investigated further with a CT with contrast which did not reveal any vascular involvement or invasion into adjacent structures. The patient successfully underwent tumour resection via left thoracotomy. The tumour was removed in its entirety. Grossly, the tumour was a 23×10×10 cm, well encapsulated, ovoid, fibrous nodule. Histopathology revealed ganglion cells, nerve fibres and Schwann cells in a mucous matrix consistent with ganglioneuroma. Postoperative course was unremarkable.

  • cancer intervention
  • radiology
  • cardiothoracic surgery
  • surgical oncology
  • pathology

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2017-222250

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors JTL is the primary guarantor, primary author and editor and performed planning and literature review. KBL is the coauthor who assisted in drafting, reviewing and editing of the case. GT is the coauthor and corresponding author who identified and managed the case as well as provided scientific mentorship and review/editing of the report. CP is the coauthor who identified and managed the case as well as provided scientific mentorship and review/editing of the report.

    • Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent Obtained.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.