Multifocal presentation of gangliocytic paraganglioma in the mediastinum and esophagus

Treatment and management of duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma: A case report

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) is a rare neuroendocrine tumor primarily found in the duodenum, most commonly in the second and third sections of the duodenum. Diagnosis of GP is based on its distinctive histopathological characteristics, which include three types of tumor cells in varying proportions: i) Epithelioid, ii) spindle-like and iii) ganglion-shaped cells. The distribution of the three tumor cell components varies from case to case and a patient may be easily misdiagnosed if one of the components is predominant. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or surgical resection is the ideal treatment for duodenal GP (DGP); however, biotherapy, nuclide therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy can be selected individually for patients with postoperative recurrence, metastasis or not suitable for surgery. In the present study, a male patient with DGP experienced recurrence after ESD surgery, and so received octreotide (Novartis; 30 mg/28 days) for 12 consecutive cycles. The patient had no further symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding and no new lesions or metastases were observed after 47 months of follow-up.

Pulmonary gangliocytic paraganglioma: An under-recognized mimic of carcinoid tumor

Gangliocytic paragangliomas are rare neoplasms occurring almost exclusively in the ampullary region of the gastrointestinal tract. Although these tumors are not typically considered in the differential diagnosis of primary pulmonary neoplasia, 5 cases of primary pulmonary gangliocytic paragangliomas have been previously reported. Herein we report our experience with 3 additional examples, all referred to our Anatomic Pathology Consultation service. The patients (a 32-year-old man, a 69-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man) each presented with an endobronchial (2 cases) or upper lobe lung mass, ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 cm in maximum dimension. Biopsy and endobronchial debulking specimens demonstrated the classic triphasic morphology of gangliocytic paraganglioma, with epithelial, spindled and ganglion-like cells. By immunohistochemistry, the tumors were positive for keratin, synaptophysin and chromogranin A in the epithelial component, S100 protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the Schwannian spindled cells, and synaptophysin in ganglion cells. TTF1 expression was seen in the epithelial components of 2 cases. The Ki-67 labelling index was low (<2%). Primary pulmonary gangliocytic paragangliomas should be distinguished from carcinoid tumors, given the different natural histories and risk stratification approaches for these morphologically similar tumors. Awareness that gangliocytic paraganglioma may occur in the lung and appropriate immunohistochemical studies are key to correct diagnosis.

Surgical treatment for a rare case of duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma accompanied with lymph node metastasis

We report a rare case of duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma accompanied with lymph node metastasis. An asymptomatic 58-year-old woman was admitted for the evaluation of abnormal liver enzyme test results. Abdominal computed tomography and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a 27-mm pedunculated tumor of the papilla of Vater. Adenocarcinoma of the papilla with muscularis propria invasion was suspected; therefore, pancreaticoduodenectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. There were no perioperative complications. A definitive diagnosis of gangliocytic paraganglioma of the papilla of Vater with lymph node metastases was confirmed by pathological examinations, which is a rare condition. The patient was discharged on her 16th postoperative day, and no recurrence or metastases were identified during the 18-month follow-up period. We herein discuss the surgical treatment for this rare case and present a review of related literature.

Neural and neurogenic tumours of the gastroenteropancreaticobiliary tract

Neural lesions occur uncommonly in the gastroenteropancreaticobiliary tract. However, due to the growing number of screening colonoscopy procedures, polypoid neural lesions of the colon are being recognised increasingly and range from benign tumours to high-grade malignant neoplasms. Morphological variability of neural tumours can be wide, although some entities share pathological features, and, as such, these lesions can be diagnostically challenging. We review the spectrum of pathology of neural tumours in the gastroenteropancreaticobiliary tract, with the goal of providing a practical approach for practising surgical pathologists.

Pancreatic gangliocytic paraganglioma harboring lymph node metastasis: a case report and literature review

Background

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) is a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm, which occurs mostly in the periampullary portion of the duodenum; the majority of the reported cases of duodenal GP has been of benign nature with a low incidence of regional lymph node metastasis. GP arising from the pancreas is extremely rare. To date, only three cases have been reported and its clinical characteristics are largely unknown.

Case presentation

A nodule located in the pancreatic head was incidentally detected in an asymptomatic 68-year-old woman. Computed tomography revealed 18-, 8-, and 12-mm masses in the pancreatic head, the pancreatic tail, and the left adrenal gland, respectively. Subsequent genetic examination revealed an absence of mutations in the MEN1 and VHL genes. Macroscopically, the tumor located in the pancreatic head was 22 mm in size and displayed an ill-circumscribed margin along with yellowish-white color. Microscopically, it was composed of three cell components: epithelioid cells, ganglion-like cells, and spindle cells, which led to the diagnosis of GP. The tumor was accompanied by a peripancreatic lymph node metastasis. The tumor in the pancreatic tail was histologically classified as a neuroendocrine tumor (NET) G1 (grade 1, WHO 2010), whereas the tumor in the left adrenal gland was identified as an adrenocortical adenoma. The patient was disease-free at the 12-month follow-up examination.

Conclusions

Pancreatic GP is associated with a higher incidence of metastasis and larger tumor size than duodenal GPs, suggesting that the primary organ of GP is an important prognostic factor.

Gangliocytic Paraganglioma of the Minor Papilla of the Duodenum

A duodenal polyp was found during a health check of a 71-year-old asymptomatic man. Duodenoscopy demonstrated a pedunculated, smooth-surfaced tumor of 18 mm in size, protruding from the minor papilla. Endoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated a homogeneously low-echoic submucosal tumor. Enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a well-enhanced duodenal tumor without obvious metastasis. A tumor biopsy revealed a well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor, and laparotomic transduodenal polypectomy with regional lymph node dissection was performed. The histology of the surgical specimen revealed gangliocytic paraganglioma consisting of three cell types: endocrine, ganglion, and spindle cells. There has been no recurrence in >5 years after surgery.

Duodenal Rare Neuroendocrine Tumor: Clinicopathological Characteristics of Patients with Gangliocytic Paraganglioma

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) has been regarded as a rare benign tumor that commonly arises from the second part of the duodenum. As GP does not exhibit either prominent mitotic activity or Ki-67 immunoreactivity, it is often misdiagnosed as neuroendocrine tumor (NET) G1. However, the prognosis might be better in patients with GP than in those with NET G1. Therefore, it is important to differentiate GP from NET G1. Moreover, our previous study indicated that GP accounts for a substantial, constant percentage of duodenal NETs. In the present article, we describe up-to-date data on the clinicopathological characteristics of GP and on the immunohistochemical findings that can help differentiate GP from NET G1, as largely revealed in our new and larger literature survey and recent multi-institutional retrospective study. Furthermore, we would like to refer to differential diagnosis and clinical management of this tumor and provide intriguing information about the risk factors for lymph node metastasis on GP.

Endoscopic resection of a periampullary gangliocytic paraganglioma of the duodenum: A case report

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The gangliocytic paraganglioma was resected endoscopically.

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Immunohistochemical examination reveal S100, synaptophysin and VIP expression.

Introduction

The gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) is an extremely rare neuroendocrine tumour originating from the second part of the duodenum. Generally GP shows benign clinical behaviour. The GP is typically characterized by consisting of three tumour components: the epithelioid, the spindle-shaped and the ganglion-like cells.

Presentation of case

We present a female patient at the age of 65, who underwent a routine gastroscopy due to known gastro-oesophageal reflux. Accidentally a 2 × 1,5 cm sized mass of unknown entity was revealed in the duodenum. The magnet resonance tomography neither detected distant metastasis nor any local lymphadenopathy. After endosonographically guided punctures of the submucosal mass, a malignant tumour could not be diagnosed thus the decision to perform an endoscopical resection was made and successfully conducted. Immunohistochemical examination revealed a total resected GP.

Discussion

In literature malignant transformation with distant metastasis and local recurrences has been described. Furthermore the clinical manifestation and location varies. The GP has often been misdiagnosed as a neuroendocrine tumour (NET) G1.

Conclusion

Due to published cases of metastasising GPs, we recommend a long term follow-up. In a non-metastatic stage the endoscopic resection should be the therapy of choice in order to prevent unnecessary major surgical interventions. In this case report we will discuss the clinical appearance, behaviour and differential diagnosis of GP.

Functioning gangliocytic paraganglioma of the ampulla: clinicopathological correlations and cytologic features

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) is a rare neuroendocrine tumor almost exclusively found in the ampulla. It is considered nonfunctioning in the literature. We herein report the first case of functioning GP arising in the ampulla. Our patient had a constellation of ampullary neuroendocrine tumor, flushing, diarrhea, weight loss, diabetes mellitus, and cholelithiasis, consistent with effects of serotonin and somatostatin that were overexpressed by the ampullary neuroendocrine tumor. The serum serotonin level was elevated. Immunostaining confirmed somatostatin expression by the epithelioid cells and ganglion-like cells of GP. After surgical resection of the tumor, the patient became euglycemic. However, computed tomography (CT) scan 3 months post-surgery showed regional lymphadenopathy suspicious for residual/recurrent/metastatic disease. In the interim, his flushing and hyperglycemia recurred and worsened. Increased awareness about the functioning potential of GP is important so that the underlying pathophysiologic link is not overlooked and patients are appropriately managed. Moreover, we describe the cytologic features that help make the preoperative diagnosis, and these have not been previously described.

Implication of tumor stem-like cells in the tumorigenesis of sporadic paraganglioma

It is commonly believed that paragangliomas are rare tumors arising from the neural crest-derived chromaffin cells. Although it has been speculated that paraganglioma is related to stem cell origin, there has been lack of direct evidence demonstrating the presence of (neural) stem cells in these tumor tissues. In this study, we found a subgroup of human paraganglioma from ten clinical samples displayed definitive markers of CD133 and/or nestin, the fundamental features of neural stem cell capable of self-renewal and differentiation. A panel of lineage-specific markers was also manifest in some of these tumors, consistent with the hierarchical and heterogeneous nature of these tumors. These observations strongly suggest that at least some forms of paraganglioma maintain tumor stem-like cells (TSCs) that potentially contribute to the histologic complexity of human paraganglioma. Finally, we found that the genomic DNA structure becomes highly unstable in tumor cells of paraganglioma, indicating the loss of tight control of genomic surveillance system be an important transitory event from normal multi-potent tissue stem cells to TSCs.

Duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma with lymph node metastasis and an 8-year follow-up: a case report

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) is a rare tumor, usually located in the second part of the duodenum. On pathological examination, GP is characterized by the association of the histological features of paragangliomas, ganglioneuromas, and carcinoid tumors. Classical clinical presentations are upper gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal pain. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult because of the submucosal site of the tumor, with usually negative mucosal biopsies. Endoscopic ultrasound helps establish the diagnosis and allows lymph node staging, which will guide the choice of the treatment. If GPs usually follow a benign course, metastatic spread to regional lymph nodes treated by surgical resection alone has been reported. We report a case of GP with lymph node metastases treated by duodenopancreatectomy with long-term disease-free survival, suggesting that surgical resection is a reasonable approach for metastatic GPs.

The cytologic diagnosis of gangliocytic paraganglioma: a case report

Gangliocytic paragangliomas are rare tumors primarily found in the duodenum. We report a case of a woman who presented with a retroperitoneal lymph node involved by metastatic gangliocytic paraganglioma. Subsequently, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology was used to identify the primary duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma. The smears of the aspirate material were highly cellular and contained a dominant population of epithelioid cells, a second population of ganglion cells and a third population of small, bland spindled cells. To our knowledge, the cytologic features of gangliocytic paraganglioma have not previously been documented.

Literature survey on epidemiology and pathology of gangliocytic paraganglioma

BACKGROUND

Although gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) has generally been regarded as a neuroendocrine tumor, its origin remains unclear. We therefore aimed to investigate the details of this disease by carefully analyzing and extracting common features of the disease as presented in selected publications.

METHODS

We searched for English and Japanese cases of GP using the PubMed and IgakuChuoZasshi databases on August 2010. We then extracted and sampled raw data from the selected publications and performed appropriate statistical analyses. Additionally, we evaluated the expression of hormone receptors based on our previously reported case.

RESULTS

192 patients with GP were retrieved from the databases. Patient ages ranged from 15 y to 84 y (mean: 52.3 y). The gender ratio was 114:76 (male to female, 2 not reported). Maximum diameter of the tumors ranged from 5.5 mm to 100 mm (mean: 25.0 mm). The duodenum (90.1%, 173/192) was found to be the most common site of the disease. In 173 patients with duodenal GP, gastrointestinal bleeding (45.1%, 78/173) was found to be the most common symptom of the disease, followed by abdominal pain (42.8%, 74/173), and anemia (14.5%, 25/173). Rate of lymph node metastasis was 6.9% (12/173). Our statistical analysis indicated that significant differences were found for gender between GP within the submucosal layer and exceeding the submucosal layer. Furthermore, our immunohistochemical evaluation showed that both epithelioid and pancreatic islet cells showed positive reactivity for progesterone receptors.

CONCLUSIONS

Our literature survey revealed that there were many more cases of GP exceeding the submucosal layer than were expected. Meanwhile, our statistical analyses and immunohistochemical evaluation supported the following two hypotheses. First, vertical growth of GP might be affected by progesterone exposure. Second, the origin of GP might be pancreatic islet cells. However, it is strongly suspected that our data have been affected by publication bias and to confirm these hypotheses, further investigation is required.

Gangliocytic paraganglioma: a rare case with metastases of all 3 elements to liver and lymph nodes

Gangliocytic paragangliomas are a rare but well-described neuroendocrine tumor with a proclivity for the duodenal area. It is usually a locally infiltrative lesion with a good prognosis. Rare cases that spread to lymph nodes have been documented. A 52-year-old female was found to have a duodenal tumor, enlarged regional lymph nodes, and multiple small nodules in the liver. The duodenal tumor was a classic triphasic gangliocytic paraganglioma. Two regional lymph nodes and one of the nodules in the liver were noted to contain all 3 elements constituting a gangliocytic paraganglioma. This is the second case of gangliocytic paraganglioma with liver spread and is also noteworthy because of the presence of all 3 elements in the metastases. The presence of lymph node and liver metastases should not result in overtreatment as such behavior is not necessarily fraught with a bad clinical outcome. It is probably best to regard such cases as having "uncertain malignant potential" and advocate careful follow-up.

Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies of a case of duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GPG) is a rare tumor, occurring almost exclusively in the duodenum. In the present case, a submucosal tumor 2.5 x 2 x 1.5 cm in size was located on the anal side of the papilla of Vater, with clear margins and without capsule on cut-surface examination. Tumor cells included three types of cells: ganglion-like cells (GCs), endocrine cells (ECs), and Schwann cells (SCs). The GCs were large with eccentric nuclei with large nucleoli and clear abundant cytoplasm. ECs were detected in small nests, surrounded by bundles of SCs. Immunohistochemically, GCs were positive for synaptophysin, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and CD56. ECs were positive for chromogranin A, NSE, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide, and CD56, and were associated with S100 protein-positive SCs. On fine structural examination, ECs contained numerous membrane-bounded secretory granules, 250-450 nm in diameter, in their cytoplasm, surrounded by a branched, complex basal lamina. SCs possessed basal lamina along their long interlacing cytoplasmic processes. The histogenesis of GPG most likely involves proliferation and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells in the duodenal crypts in the duodenum as a true tumor, although it is also possible that the retroperitoneal components of both GCs and SCs proliferate, together with ECs, from ventral primordial tissue of the pancreas in the duodenum. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings of a case of GPG are reported, focusing on three major cellular components: GCs, ECs, and SCs.

Gangliocytic paraganglioma: case report and review of the literature

Gangliocytic paraganglioma is a rare tumor, which occurs nearly exclusively in the second portion of the duodenum. Generally, this tumor has a benign clinical course, although rarely, it may recur or metastasize to regional lymph nodes. Only one case with distant metastasis has been reported. We present a case of duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma treated first by local resection followed by pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Examination of the first specimen revealed focal nuclear pleomorphism and mitotic activity, in addition to the presence of three characteristic histologic components: epithelioid, ganglion, and spindle cell. In the subsequent pancreaticoduodenectomy specimen, there was no residual tumor identified in the periampullary area, but metastatic gangliocytic paraganglioma was present in two of seven lymph nodes. This case report confirms the malignant potential of this tumor. We review the published literature on gangliocytic paragangliomas pursuing a malignant course. We conclude that surgical therapy of these neoplasms should not be limited to local resection, as disease recurrence, lymph node involvement, and rarely distant metastasis may occur.

Primary glomangioma of the esophagus mimicking esophageal papilloma

We report a case of glomangioma of the esophagus in a 28-year-old woman who presented with a 3-year history of vague discomfort, pain and heat in the neck. At initial gross examination, the tumor mimicked an esophageal papilloma. The resected esophageal specimen contained a polypoid, whitish-gray mass, which measured 3 cm in maximum diameter. Microscopically the tumor consisted of loose fibrovascular stroma heavily infiltrated with mononuclear inflammatory cells and covered with focally hyperkeratotic, parakeratotic and acanthotic squamous epithelium without atypia. In the deeper area immediately above the true muscular layer of the esophageal wall, microscopical examination revealed the neoplasm consisting of numerous, small-to-medium branched vessels covered by regular endothelium and filled with erythrocytes. The loose stroma around the vessels contained poorly circumscribed nests of small, round to oval cells with a uniform appearance. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were immunoreactive for smooth muscle actin and vimentin and non-immunoreactive for CD34, CD117, desmin, pan-cytokeratin, synaptophisin, neuron-specific enolase and S-100 protein. Despite its bland histology, the infiltrative growth pattern was suggestive of aggressive behavior; thus, an appropriate clinical follow-up was recommended. An accurate diagnosis and an understanding of the behavior of these rare tumors, especially in an unusual location, are crucial to their management and clinical outcome.

Corticotropin-producing pulmonary gangliocytic paraganglioma associated with Cushing's syndrome

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) is an unusual tumor in the wide spectrum of neuroendocrine neoplasms. The biologic behavior and histogenesis of this tumor is uncertain because, despite its benign histologic features, there have been reports of metastases to regional lymph nodes and distant metastases. Although most of these tumors have been reported in the duodenum, examples of GP arising in extra-ampullary sites have been well documented. Herein, we report the case of a lung GP corticotropin producing and presenting as Cushing's syndrome. After removal of the tumor, there was a significant drop in cortisol and corticotropin levels. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a GP causing Cushing's syndrome.