title: Ganglioneuromatous paraganglioma of the cauda equina--a pathological case study.
abstract: This study presents a rare case of compound paraganglioma/ganglioneuroma with comprehensive immunohistochemical studies that reveal strong cytokeratin expression in all components. A 74-year-old woman presented with a mass lesion of the cauda equina. The 1.8-cm tumor showed 3 histomorphologically and immunohistochemically distinct components: typical paragangliomatous neuroendocrine areas, mature ganglion cell-like neuronal areas, and a "neuromatous" proliferation of Schwann cells with admixed axons. As often seen in cauda equina paragangliomas, the neuroendocrine cells were cytokeratin-positive. In addition, immunoreactivity for cytokeratins was also observed in the neurons and axons. This tumor illustrates the broad spectrum of divergent differentiation that can be seen in cells of sympathoadrenal lineage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pytel
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krausz
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wollmann
authors.forename: Manuel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Utset
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002420:Cauda Equina; D005260:Female; D005729:Ganglioneuroma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D007633:Keratins