Ganglioneuroma as the phenomenon of neuroblastoma maturation

Abstract

Ganglioneuroma (GN) represents a mature, well-differentiated tumor arising from the sympathetic nervous system. Mostly developing de novo, GN can appear during the treatment course of poorly differentiated or undifferentiated tumors of the sympathetic nervous system, such as neuroblastoma, or as a result of their spontaneous maturation. In this article we report three clinical cases of spontaneous and induced maturation of neuroblastoma (primary tumor and metastatic lesion) to GN. Histological verification of long-lasting stable or progressing residual tumor mases in patients with neuroblastoma stratified to the observation group plays a pivotal role as it may significantly affect the treatment course. The patients' parents gave their consent to the use of their child's data, including photographs, for research purposes and in publications.