Neck Ganglioneuroma Mimicking a Thyroid Nodule in a Four-Year-Old Child: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

INTRODUCTION: Ganglioneuromas are tumors of neurogenic origin usually located in the abdomen, the adrenal glands, and the mediastinum but infrequently found in the neck region. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of a four-year-old Albanian girl presenting with an anterior neck mass initially suspected to be a thyroid nodule. From a clinical point of view, there was no evidence of compression on vital cervical structures. Lab tests detected normal serum thyrotropin, calcitonin, and parathormone concentrations. A neck ultrasound showed a huge mass apparently originating from the left thyroid lobe. Cytological examination of fine needle biopsy demonstrated a population of large cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm, regular nuclei, and prominent nucleoli and spindle cells without significant atypia, consistent with a benign lesion of neurogenic origin. Also, the neck MRI displayed a mass with well-defined margins, likely arising from the peripheral nervous system. The patient underwent surgical excision of the mass without complications. The histological exam was diagnostic for ganglioneuroma. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss the cytological and histological features peculiar to such a rare neck lesion and review the differential diagnosis.