Invasive trigeminal ganglioneuroma: A case report and review of the literature.

Abstract

Ganglioneuromas are rare tumors arising from retroperitoneal and posterior mediastinal sympathetic nerves. Intracranial trigeminal nerve ganglioneuromas are even more rare, with only seven cases reported to date. We present a case of a 65-year-old male with a right-sided throbbing headache type and blindness in his right eye. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an ill-defined mass lesion in the middle-cranial fossa, with a few areas having a reduced apparent diffusion coefficient and multiple microhemorrhages. Piecemeal debulking of the tumor was achieved by performing a right-middle craniotomy via the pterionic and sub-temporal approach. The detected histological features matched those of a ganglioneuroma (maturing type) of the trigeminal nerve.