Isolated polypoid ganglioneuroma of gall bladder-a case report

Abstract

A ganglioneuroma is a very rare neoplasm in the gastrointestinal tract and a benign neoplasm of sympathetic nervous system. They predominantly affect the colon and rectum and are rare to arise in gall bladder. Gastrointestinal ganglioneuromas occur as rare isolated (solitary) polypoid lesions or more commonly as ganglioneuromatous polyposis and diffuse ganglioneuromatosis. Isolated polypoid lesions are clinically asymptomatic and incidentally detected during endoscopy or surgery. We report a case of a 42-year-female who presented clinically with features of chronic cholecystitis and was operated. There was no association of any hereditary disease. Incidentally the cholecystectomy specimen showed a small sessile polypoid lesion. Histopathological examination showed the lesion to be polypoid ganglioneuroma arising in gall bladder. The isolated polypoid ganglioneuroma is invariably benign. They do not have increased risk of von Recklinghausen’s disease or multiple endocrine neoplasia IIB and show no evidence of recurrence with excellent prognosis after total excision.