title: Autopsy case of undiagnosed gangliocytoma in the medulla oblongata complicated with cerebral palsy.
abstract: A Japanese man in his 30s who had congenital cerebral palsy was found unresponsive in bed. His death was confirmed after resuscitation attempts. He had a history of occasional falling (despite the use of walking sticks and a wheelchair) owing to a slowly progressive gait disturbance, and had a medical examination without full neurological re-examination. Autopsy revealed gangliocytoma in the medulla oblongata, which was diagnosed as the cause of death. Although gangliocytoma is a well-differentiated benign tumor, the almost total replacement of the medulla oblongata by the tumor cells was assumed to result in ataxia via the olivocerebellar tract and secondary cerebellar atrophy, followed by central hypoventilation and death of the patient. The symptoms caused by gangliocytoma may be overlooked owing to long-standing cerebral palsy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Social Health Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan. Electronic address: genring@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Motonori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Social Health Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Social Health Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morichika
authors.affiliation: Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Social Health Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Azumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuse
authors.affiliation: Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Social Health Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanako
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime 791-0295, Japan.
authors.forename: Migiwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.affiliation: Division of Legal Medicine, Department of Community Medicine and Social Health Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0017, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ueno
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000328:Adult; D001344:Autopsy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005729:Ganglioneuroma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Brain stem; Cerebellar atrophy; Medicolegal autopsy; Medullary respiratory center