[Ganglioneuromas in childhood: CT and MRI characteristics]

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the typical appearance of ganglioneuromas in computer-assisted tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Retrospective analysis of diagnostic imaging (9 CT, 6 MRI) in 9 children aged 3 to 15 years with the histological diagnosis of ganglioneuroma.

The tomographies showed large (max. 13.4 cm in diameter) round or oval tumors with sharp delineation. The sites of the tumors were the retroperitoneum (5), the mediastinum (3), and the adrenal gland (1). Intraspinal tumor involvement occurred in 4 cases. On comparing CT with MRI, MRI was more accurate in defining the intraspinal involvement. The ganglioneuromas were of hypodense appearance in the native CT scan and showed moderate enhancement upon administration of contrast media. In five patients tumor calcifications with a disseminated sprinkled pattern were seen in CT. In MRI T1-weighted scans the tumors were homogeneous and hypointense, after gadolinium application a marked enhancement was evident. In T2-weighted scans the tumors were hyperintense.

At the time of diagnosis ganglioneuromas are generally large tumors which can be well detected by CT and MRI. Information towards the diagnosis is given by the appearance of the ganglioneuromas in CT and MRI. However, MRI is the modality of choice due to its superiority in documenting intraspinal tumor expansion.