Ganglioneuroma in the neck masquerading as a benign mesenchymal lesion on cytology: A morphological mimic

摘要

Dear Editor, Ganglioneuroma (GN) is a slow-growing benign neurogenic tumour of the sympathetic ganglia. It is most commonly seen in posterior mediastinum, retroperitoneum, pelvic and sacral sympathetic ganglia, and very rarely in the heart, bone, spermatic cord, middle ear, orbit and skin. It can be diagnosed on cytological smears in the presence of both spindly Schwann cells and mature ganglion cells, but there are few reports describing it in the neck or its pitfalls on cytology. The present case highlights the reasons for diagnostic pitfalls: the neck being an unusual site, and misinterpretation of ganglion cells as ganglion-like cells seen in reactive fibroblastic lesions on cytology.