title: CT and MRI findings of thoracic ganglioneuroma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thoracic ganglioneuroma is sporadic and rarely reported. Pre-operative misdiagnosis often occurs in clinical practice. To improve diagnostic accuracy and facilitate differential diagnosis, we summarised the CT and MRI findings of thoracic ganglioneuroma.
  
  
  METHODS
  22 cases of thoracic ganglioneuroma confirmed by surgery and pathology were retrospectively analysed in terms of CT (16 cases) and MRI data (6 cases).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 22 lesions, 19 occurred in the posterior mediastinum, 2 in the lateral pleura and 1 in the right chest. The CT value of the plain scans ranged from 20 to 40 HU (mean 29.1 HU) in 16 cases. Punctate calcification was noted in four cases. Patchy fat density shadow was found in one case. Arterial-phase CT found nearly no enhancement (6 cases) or slight enhancement (10 cases) with a CT value of 0-12 HU (mean 5.8 HU). In the delayed phase, enhancement was strengthened progressively, and CT value of 10-20 HU (mean 13.6 HU) was achieved after 120 s. T(1) weighted images showed homogeneous hypointense signals in five cases and hypointense signals mixed with patchy hyperintense signal shadow in one case. T(2) weighted images demonstrated heterogeneous hyperintense signals in all six cases, of which the whorled appearance was noted in one case. Gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA)-enhanced MRI found mildly heterogeneous enhancement in the arterial phase, and progressive mild enhancement in the delayed phase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thoracic ganglioneuroma shows hypodensity in plain CT. On CT and MRI, non-enhancement or slight enhancement in artery phase and progressive mild enhancement in delay phase are characteristic manifestations of ganglioneuroma in the thorax.
authors.affiliation: Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Q S
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: G Q
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D005729:Ganglioneuroma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult