Gastric ganglioneuroblastoma: a rare finding in an infant with multifocal ganglioneuroblastoma.
OBJECTIVE
This report describes a female infant with stage 4 multifocal ganglioneuroblastoma with gastric involvement.


METHODS
The patient had a right cervical tumor, a left posterior mediastinal tumor, bilateral adrenal tumors, and bony and bone marrow metastases. The tumor cells were diploid and lacked N-myc gene amplification. The gastric involvement, which did not produce clinical symptoms, was only detected by meticulous exploration during laparotomy.


RESULTS
Our patient achieved only a partial response to alternating cycles of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and adriamycin; and etoposide and cisplatin. She currently has stable, unresectable disease with elevated catecholamines.


CONCLUSIONS
Multifocal ganglioneuroblastomas may arise from either neuroblastic rests or aberrant deposits of neuroblasts. The latter mechanism may have accounted for our patient's gastric tumor. Patients with multifocal ganglioneuroblastomas warrant meticulous radiographic and surgical evaluation to completely document the full extent of disease, and to ensure appropriate staging and therapy.
Department of Pediatrics, Pathology, Pediatric Surgery and Radiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla 10595, USA.
C
C
Sandoval
S
S
Oiseth
M
M
Slim
O
O
Tugal
M F
MF
Ozkaynak
A
A
Brudnicki
D
D
Beneck
H
H
Bostwick
S
S
Jayabose
D005260:Female; D018305:Ganglioneuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000473:pathology*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*