Ganglioneuroma is a rare, benign, well-differentiated neurogenic tumor most commonly located in the posterior mediastinum or retroperitoneum. Giant ganglioneuromas are even less common; this is only the 19th reported case in literature to date. We present a case of a giant retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma in a five-year-old child, which on imaging mimicked a mesenteric cyst and posed various challenges in its management. Histopathology later confirmed our misdiagnosis and revealed the tumor to be a ganglioneuroma. This unique case serves as a lesson for clinicians to not operate before receiving histopathological confirmation of their diagnosis.
Keywords: abdominal tumor; exploratory laparotomy; ganglioneuroma; mesenteric cyst; pediatric surgery; retroperitoneal.
Copyright © 2023, Shah et al.
