Left Adrenal Ganglioneuroma Treated by Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy in a 41-Year-Old Woman: A Case Report

BACKGROUND Ganglioneuromas are differentiated tumors originating from the neural crest. Although their occurrence is rare, they usually involve the posterior mediastinum and retroperitoneum. However, they rarely occur in the adrenal gland. Adrenal ganglioneuromas (AGNs) are hormonally inactive tumors that are mostly discovered incidentally during abdominal imaging performed for unrelated reasons. As preoperative diagnosis is challenging owing to their heterogeneous nature, adrenalectomy is the most effective method to ascertain an AGN diagnosis. We report a case of left adrenal ganglioneuroma treated by laparoscopic adrenalectomy. In addition, we have presented a relevant literature review to provide further information about this rare tumor. CASE REPORT A 41-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department with left flank pain associated with dysuria. She was diagnosed with renal colic, which was confirmed by computed tomography of the kidneys, ureter, and bladder. Additionally, an incidental solid lesion in the left adrenal gland was discovered. She was treated conservatively for her acute condition at the Emergency Department and discharged in a good condition. Further work-up including magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left large triangular suprarenal mixed soft tissue mass. She underwent laparoscopic left adrenalectomy. The final histopathology showed an AGN. CONCLUSIONS We present a case of a large AGN in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus. Because it is a rare tumor with a heterogeneous presentation, its preoperative diagnosis is challenging. Thus, adrenalectomy is required to confirm the diagnosis. The prognosis is excellent and recurrence is extremely rare after tumor resection.