Two cases of duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma: immunocytochemical characteristics

Two cases of duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma were studied by means of immunocytochemical methods using 41 kinds of antibodies. The tumors consisted of three histological types; carcinoid, ganglioneuroma and paraganglioma. Tumors of both cases exhibited immunoreactivity to at least one or as many as three of the following: calcitonin, calcitonin-gene related peptide, endocrine granule constituent, Leu7, neuropeptide Y and basic fibroblast growth factor. In addition, these tumors were also immunopositive for neuron specific enolase, S-100 protein, neurofilament protein, pancreatic polypeptide, chromogranin A, somatostatin, leuenkephalin, substance P and vasoactive intestinal peptide, as has been described in previous reports. In one case, tumor cells were immunopositive for adrenocorticotropin, bombesin, gastrin releasing peptide, myelin basic protein, neuroendocrine marker and tyrosine hydroxylase. Moreover, paraganglioma cells of tumors showed both argyrophilia and argentaffinity. These results suggest that duodenal gangliocytic paraganglioma may originate from embryonic neuroinsular complex.