Clinicopathological characteristics of neck ganglioneuroma

Ganglioneuroma of the head and neck is rare. The clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of 6 cases of cervical ganglioneuroma were analyzed. The average age of the patients in this study was 32.8 years (6-62 years). The tumors grew slowly and the patients were asymptomatic. Grossly, they were well encapsulated. Under the microscope, the tumors consisted of primarily Schwann cells, tangled masses of neurites in bundles, and variably-distributed large ganglion cells. The ganglion cells showed positive immunohistochemical reactivity to neuronspecific enolase, neurofilament, chromogranin A, and synaptophysin but negative for S100, the same as in the controlled normal sublingual ganglion cells. All the tumors were treated with surgical excision. There was no recurrence and metastasis during a follow-up time of 3-5 years.